Hearts Women ran riot on Sunday afternoon as they thrashed Motherwell 6-0 at K Park.
Eva Olid made four changes for the trip to Lanarkshire as Monica Forsyth, Sade Adamolekun, Bayley Hutchison and Jenna Slattery all came into the side in place of Eilidh Shore, Georgia Timms, Lizzie Waldie and Naomi Powell dropped to the bench.
It was the home side who had the first chance of the afternoon as Bailley Collins nipped in behind the Hearts backline and forced an early save from Rachael Johnstone at her near post on 6 minutes. From the resulting corner, ‘Well came even closer with Louisa Boyes seeing her long-range effort come back off the post.
Motherwell continued to look the likelier in the early stages and former Jambo Jenna Penman should really have opened the scoring on 19 minutes. Rising highest at the back post to meet a corner from the left, she was unable to head home from close range.
It was a battle of wits for much of the first half with Hearts seeing the majority of possession and Motherwell looking to drop early balls in behind for the pace of Collins and Eilidh Austin.
As the clock passed the half hour mark, Hearts began to find their stride and after Forsyth saw an effort at the back post saved by Mutch, Ypema rose highest to power Jardine’s corner off the underside of the crossbar.
The opening goal arrived five minutes before the interval, positive play from Forsyth down the left saw her get to the byline and cross for Jardine who had ghosted in-between the Motherwell defenders to head in the opening goal against her former club.
It was 2-0 just before half-time. This time, the build-up came down the opposite flank and as Emma Brownlie crossed for Hutchison, her header came back off the underside of the crossbar and struck the back of ‘Well stopper Mutch before rolling over the line.
Half-time: Motherwell 0-2 Hearts
Motherwell would’ve felt aggrieved to have been two goals down at the interval but Hearts well and truly put the game to bed in the early stages of the second half.
Adamolekun had been at the heart of a lot of Hearts’ good attacking play and when she set up Hutchison, the striker never really looked like missing, with a cute finish off the inside of the far post on 53 minutes.
The Jamaican internationalist deserved a goal for her contribution, and it arrived just four minutes later, Hutchison this time returning the favour with a clever through ball and Adamolekun made no mistake with a smart finish past Mutch at her near post.
There was an SWPL debut for Hearts Academy Graduate Orla Burn who was introduced for the final half hour and the women in maroon were in no mood to let up with the pick of the bunch arriving on the hour mark.
Nice play from the Jambos on the edge of the area saw the ball laid off to half-time substitute Addie Handley and she curled the ball right footed into the top corner.
It was 6-0 midway through the second half, Adamolekun was again involved, turning down a long-range shot to slide in Forsyth and on the stretch, she was able diver the ball right-footed past Mutch and into the bottom corner to round off the scoring on a successful afternoon for Eva Olid’s side.
Motherwell: Mutch, Penman, Watson ©, Ronald, Collins, Rice, Todd, Austin, Boyes, Leishman, Black
Subs: Cameron, Donald, Inglis, Clark, Sharkey, McGoldrick, Gibb, Barclay
Hearts: Johnstone, Brownlie © (Burn, 58), Robertson (Shore, 46), Forsyth, Wade (Handley, 46), Ypema (Waldie, 46), Jardine, Adamolekun, Hutchison (Young, 65), J. Husband, Slattery
Subs: Parker-Smith, Shore, Timms, Waldie, Handley, Andrews, Powell, Burn, Young
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website at full-time, manager Eva Olid said:
“It has always been so difficult to get points here because this pitch suits Motherwell really well with the style they like to play, so it always has been difficult and win 6-0 here is so positive for us.
“We gave chances to some young players also, so we feel really proud to win this game for that and I'm just so happy.
“At half-time, I said to the players we have to be more patient because if we keep the ball the spaces will appear and then is when we can score the goals.
“When we start forcing the play, it doesn’t work. We need to keep the ball, enjoy being in possession and then the chances will come. We were a little patient and for that the goals come.
“Today we had really technical players on the pitch like Sade and Kayla and that helped a lot to keep the possession and play that combination play that we want to play.
“We want to finish with a positive mentality and winning mentality for next season and we will go to win the matches.”
