Hearts secured a 7-1 victory over Montrose to make it back-to-back wins in the Scottish Power Women’s Premier League.
The women in maroon were in control from the off and had the game all but wrapped up by the break, racing into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Georgia Timms and a Monica Forsyth brace.
A dominant second-half display followed, with a strike from Sade Adamolekun, two superb finishes from Carly Johns and a late Bayley Hutchison effort sealing a thoroughly deserved victory on the road.
Eva Olid made two changes from Sunday’s 4-0 win over Partick Thistle at Oriam, with Forsyth coming in for Lauren Wade and Jess Husband replacing Hutchison.
Hearts flew out of the traps and wasted no time in asking questions of the Montrose defence. The opener arrived inside four minutes following a slick, flowing team move. Kayla Jardine threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Timms, who went one-on-one with Lauren Perry before coolly slotting into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0.
The visitors almost doubled their lead moments later. Timms picked up possession just outside the box and unleashed a fierce right-footed strike that crashed off the crossbar. Carly Johns was quickest to react to the rebound, but Perry produced a fine save from close range to deny her.
The second goal came on 11 minutes and owed much to Hearts’ relentless pressure. Jardine’s effort struck the right-hand post and fell kindly for Forsyth, who reacted sharply. Her first attempt also hit the woodwork before she calmly tucked the ball away at the second time for 2-0.
Four minutes later, the Jam Tarts struck again. Timms cut the ball back across the face of goal and Forsyth arrived unmarked at the back post to tap home and complete her brace, giving Hearts a commanding 3-0 lead.
Half-time: Montrose 0-3 Hearts
Hearts looked to pick up where they left off after the interval, although heavy rain made slick football more difficult as the conditions worsened.
Just before the hour mark, the Jambos added a fourth in spectacular fashion. Johns collected the ball on the left edge of the box and curled an unstoppable strike into the top right corner, leaving Perry with no chance.
Johns grabbed her second just two minutes later. Hutchison’s clever header sent her through on goal, and with Perry off her line, the forward produced a delightful dink to make it 5-0.
The goals kept coming. Adamolekun found space on the edge of the area and fired a low, precise effort into the bottom left corner to put Hearts six goals to the good.
Montrose pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining when a free kick from the right wasn’t fully cleared, allowing Kaela McDonald-Nguah to stab home from close range.
Hearts put the game to bed once and for all on 76 minutes, a cross from the left found Hutchison arriving at the front post, and she guided the ball past Perry to complete the scoring at 7-1.
It was a dominant display from Hearts, who claimed a deserved three points on the road in the SWPL.
Montrose: Perry, Murray, Carter, Gover, Ross, Guthrie, McDonald-Nguah, Taylor, Brown, Cowper ©
Subs: Milne, Elliot, Innes, Henderson
Hearts: Vilao, Ypema, Husband, Husband, Hunter (Girasoli, 71’), Forsyth, Timms (Hutchison, 60’) Adamolekun (Chomzcuk, 65’), Jardine (Halliday, 46’), Johns, Slattery (Dolan, 60’)
Subs: Johnstone, Shore, Wade, Dolan, Halliday, Hutchison, Girasoli, Chomczuk, Campbell
