MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 6, DONCASTER BELLES 0
Manchester City Women wrapped up a comprehensive 6-0 thrashing of rock bottom Doncaster Belles with a five goal salvo within the first 45 minutes of an extremely one sided Bank Holiday encounter at the City Football Academy to record their fifth straight win in the Women’s Super League this season in front of 2,227 fans.
The game saw the highest attendance for a Women’s Super League at the City Football Academy since the 3,186 who saw them beat Notts County Ladies to qualify for the Champions League in the last game of last season.
It was the third game in a week for Nick Cushing’s team who bounced back from FA Cup disappointment at Chelsea to continue their 100% league form with victories at Birmingham City and Sunderland before today’s victory.
Goals by Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, Jane Ross, Jennifer Beattie and Kosovare Asllani finished off the visitors who had striker Natasha Dowie mercilessly booed on every touch by the home fans.
Toni Duggan added a sixth towards the end of the game as City eased off the gas thanks to Nikita Parris’ fourth assist of the game.
Parris did everything except get on the scoresheet herself and was deservedly awarded Player of the Match.
City stunned the Doncaster Belles with an early goal scored by Lucy Bronze in only the eighth minute which went in off the back post for her first goal of the season after she was released by Parris.
And they doubled their lead just three minutes later when Demi Stokes’ cross was cleared only as far as Jill Scott who thrashed in the rebound.
City dominated the first half with a shot by Kosovare Asllani blocked and an extravagant backheel by Jane Ross was tipped over the bar by Nicola Hobbs in the Doncaster goal after she had been found by Scott.
Parris was denied by Hobbs who also cleared a Steph Houghton free kick as City continued to press and Stokes had an effort cleared off the line.
Five minutes at the end of the first half sealed the fate of the Belles as City applied the coup-de-grace thanks to Kosovare Asllani.
Jill Scott had a curling effort tipped around the post in the 40th minute by Hobbs before Jane Ross bundled the loose ball in after Parris’ header had hit the bar following Asllani’s corner to make it 3-0.
Asllani’s delicate chip was also cleared off the line as the Belles reeled but she delivered another corner which was converted by Jennifer Beattie to make it 4-0 in the 45t minute.
And Asllani turned goalscorer in added time at the end of the first half when was presented with a tap-in from Parris’ right wing cross to make it 5-0 at half time – her first goal for City.
Doncaster couldn’t live with Asllani’s corners and City twice had chances to extend the lead early in the second half when Bronze and Parris could have extended City’s lead but for intervention of post and bar.
Parris was trying hard for a goal of her own and went close several times before sending a ball across the face of goal for Toni Duggan to convert at the back post with 15 minutes to go.
There was even time for Bronze to strike the woodwork again with a shot from the edge of the area to complete a dominant win for City.
The Belles had their best moments from Jess Sigsworth but she could not find a way past City’s back line for even a consolation.