Hayley Ladd picked the right time to net her first league goal for Coventry City Ladies, as they thumped Chesham United 5-0 in Sunday’s FA Women's Premier League Southern Division fixture.
Last week the Welsh international midfielder stated that she hoped to add more goals to her game to help the club, who lost star striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk to FA Women’s Super League side Lincoln Ladies in the summer.
Speaking after last week’s defeat to league leaders Gillingham, she said: “We've had a few injuries to attackers and we have also lost Courtney so I think it will just take a bit of time to adjust to a new system and new players.
“I wouldn't say there is a pressure on myself to score, but I know I personally would like to add some goals to my game.”
After Ladd’s early goal, Natalie Brace lived up to her name by netting twice, her first goals since re-signing for the club, whilst Helen Dermody struck to give the Sky Blues a resounding half-time lead at The Meadow.
A second-half header from captain Natasha Lynch rounded off the scoreline, which lifts Coventry to fourth in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division.
Manager Craig Nicholls was full of praise for his team, who had only netted six goals in the league prior to the trip to Buckinghamshire.
“It was a good reaction from the players and it was a perfect way to move on from last week. We were very good in the first half an hour, and our tempo and desire was a lot higher.
“Hayley knows how important she is this to this team,” added Nicholls. “We spoke last week and before the game about bring a bit braver and having shots on goal. Hopefully her goal will give her confidence to continue in that way.”
Sunday’s result marked the biggest margin of victory in the league for the Sky Blues since a 5-0 win over Preston North End in March 2011, and they can now look forward to a more comfortable run of fixtures, having played all three teams above them so far this season.
Meanwhile, it was the latest in a long line of miserable defeats for Chesham, who have lost all seven of their league games this season, conceding 29 goals along the way.