WSL 2 leaders Doncaster Rovers Belles maintained their unbeaten start to the season by thrashing London Bees 5-1 at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Despite the impressive scoreline it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Belles, who went in level at the break after a strike of the highest standard from Bee’s midfielder Ashleigh Goddard cancelled out Bethany England’s opener.
But a rousing team talk from Belles boss Glen Harris saw his side transformed in the second half and the promotion hopefuls romped to victory with England adding to her earlier goal before a rare Sue Smith header and an Emily Roberts’ brace.
With 11 points separating the two sides at kick-off, spectators would have been forgiven for thinking they might bear witness to a walk-over. But it was in fact league strugglers London Bees who started the brightest, almost taking the lead early on after some good work from Gemma Fraser required a last-minute intervention from Belles defender Leandra Little.
The home side soon settled in to the game and after a spell of pressure opened the scoring when Kasia Lipka set up England who slotted home on the second time of asking.
But just five minutes later it was all square again after Goddard thumped a 25-yard strike straight in to the top corner.
As the half progressed, the Belles were left scratching their heads as to how they weren’t ahead in this game, with Smith having an effort superbly saved by Imogen Riches in the visitor’s goal, and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk being denied by a goal-line clearance.
After the game Smith admitted her side weren’t at their best in the first 45 and it took inspiration from their manager to produce the goods.
“In the first half we were disappointed with our performance,” said goalscorer Smith.
“We went in there and Glen had a few words with us, told us that we weren’t good enough all the way through from defence to attack, and that we all had to look at ourselves and improve our performance.
“In the second half we came out and showed what we were about.”
And it didn’t take long after the break for the Belles to improve.
Straight from the whistle the hosts broke down the left and England hit a stinging effort off the underside of the bar before Sophie Barker somehow sliced the rebound wide from close range. And just five minutes in they were ahead when Roberts’ slid across the six yards box to connect with Smith’s delivery and poke it in to the back of the net.
After that the flood gates opened as the Bees tired and struggled to cope with their opponents constant waves of attack.
After getting their names on the scoresheet already, Roberts and England combined to set up Smith who nodded in the cross at the back post. Before England scored a header of her own two minutes later, rising highest at a Barker corner.
The Bees were then given a golden opportunity to get back in the game against the run of play, when, after rounding the goalkeeper, Fraser could only find the outside of the post.
Smith then almost scored another header for the Belles before the woodwork came to the rescue once again down the other end when Amber Gaylor’s effort came off the post for the Bees.
Eventual the decisive goal did come and after failing to deal with their opponent’s aerial threat all evening, the Bees conceded another header – this time from Roberts – in a move which effectively killed all chances of a comeback.
The win meant Doncaster stayed three points clear at the top of the table going in to a crucial crunch match against second-placed Reading next weekend.
