A twelve minute hat-trick from Jade Formaston stole the show as Coventry City Ladies demolished derby rivals Copsewood 7-1.
There were certainly no ill effects from the weekend's celebrations after wrapping up the Midland Women's Combination title on Sunday as Robyn James also netted three times in a first half in which the Sky Blues were rampant. "It was certainly a very good first half performance, and a clinical one. I wouldn't say it was our best though" stated Manager Paul Cudby, playing down his side's dominance.
"I'm delighted that we maintained such high standards after having won the league, we were unbelievable in that first half, we created chances for fun". James opened the scoring to put daylight between herself and Helen Dermody for the top scorer title. Her eighth minute strike put her on 15 for the season as Dermody was rested and looked on from the bench.
From there Formaston took over, her explosive pace on the right hand side constantly unlocking the hosts defence. With her first coming in the 13th minute and subsequent strikes in the 17th and 24th, the electrifying winger hit double figures for the season and killed off any thoughts of a championship hangover. James piled on the misery for Copsewood with goals in the 32nd and 42nd minutes as City continued to create chances seemingly at will.
The second period could never live up to the first though and a series of increasingly frustrating decisions went against the champions including the dismissal of Nikki Miles. After a booking early in the half for persistent fouling the young midfielder was cruelly given her marching orders with 20 minutes to play for an innocuous challenge in which she seemingly won the ball.
From then on Copsewood began to exert some pressure culminating in a generous penalty that Amanda Whalley coolly dispatched into the bottom left hand corner. Netty Manca guessed the right way and got down well but had no chance to stop the pinpoint blast from the former City player. Katy Ward rounded off the night's goal scoring with her fourth for the club on what was her first start after scoring three times in three appearances off the bench.
Team: - Manca; Wilcox, Lynch (c), Clarke, Wilton (Newnes 73); Formaston (Dermody 46), Miles, McKenna, Ward; Hanson, James (Parnell 46).
Subs Not Used: - Morgan, Christie.
Goals: - James (8, 32, 42), Formaston (13, 17,24), Ward (85).
Booked: - Miles (55).
Sent Off: - Miles (70).