Motherwell cruised to their first league win of the season after defeating rivals Hamilton 3-0 at Alliance Park in the first Lanarkshire derby.
Leanne Crichton would open the scoring from the penalty spot before Lori Gardner added a spectacular second on the stroke of half-time.
Academy graduate Jemma Hughes would fire home the third in the second half to secure the women of steel’s first three points of the season.
Motherwell applied the early pressure and were unfortunate not to open the scoring in the early stages.
Kodie Hay’s cross from the right was superbly flicked on by Claire Crosbie, but Hamilton would clear their lines after a goal-line scramble.
Minutes later, Crichton’s in-swinging cross was met by Hughes at the back post, but the striker’s powerful header sailed narrowly above the crossbar.
Motherwell would be awarded a penalty midway through the first half after Crichton’s powerful effort struck the hand of a Hamilton defender.
Crichton stepped up and confidently placed her strike past Sarah Rhind to open the scoring for the hosts.
Motherwell came close to doubling their advantage minutes later. Amy Anderson’s pass was brilliantly controlled by Hay, who turned and rifled a long-range volley towards goal, but her dipping effort was superbly parried away by the keeper.
The women of steel would add a second in the latter stages of the first half.
Gardner found space on the right, and skilfully passed her opponent with a clever nutmeg before firing her strike into the top corner to give her side a comfortable advantage heading into half-time.
The Well would add a third on the hour mark. Gardner’s perfectly weighted through-ball found Hughes unmarked at the edge of the box, and the forward skilfully beat her opponent before calmly firing her strike into the top left corner.
The result will be a confidence boost for Motherwell who move off the foot of the table, before they travel to face Spartans next week.
