Motherwell dusted off their month-long goalless drought in emphatic style, firing six-goals past an uninspiring Dundee United side to narrow the gap to the top-six in a rampant display at K-Park on Sunday.
A Bailley Collins double was complimented with strikes from Jo Addie, Kayla Jardine, Laura McCartney and the captain Gill Inglis to complete an extraordinary afternoon in East Kilbride.
Head Coach, Paul Brownlie made four changes from last weekend’s defeat to league leaders Celtic, as Murron Cunningham and Amy Anderson returned to the heart of the backline and midfield. Summer addition Kayla Jardine received her first-start of the 2023/24 campaign since returning from Rangers, as the youngster led the line alongside Kaitlyn Canavan who also returned to the starting XI.
Looking for redemption after last weekend’s confidence-draining defeat to Celtic, Motherwell started firmly on the front foot, pinning the visitors deep into their own half and flooding the United box with dangerous deliveries from either flank.
Motherwell’s positive start was soon reflected in the scoreline, as the hosts broke the deadlock after 10-minutes. Gill Inglis’ floated delivery from the right sailed across the visiting penalty area before reaching Collins at the back post, and the forward coolly dispatched an unstoppable strike from close-range.
Motherwell continued to threaten and almost doubled their advantage moments later, as Louisa Boyes’ drilled cross from the right flashed across the face of goal, narrowly evading the head of Canavan, who was lurking on the goal line.
Chance after chance continued to go abegging, but Motherwell still remained in control and defensively intact as the half time whistle approached.
As the second half resumed, Motherwell instigated what is likely to be the most prolific 10-minutes in the club’s history. Kayla Jardine’s pinpoint delivery evaded everyone in the United penalty area before reaching Addie, who instinctively connected on the half-volley, bursting the net with a composed finish.
Less than four minutes later, Motherwell tripled their advantage, with the captain leaving her mark on the tie.
Inglis’ fortuitous strike from the edge of the penalty area took a fortunate deflection in the box, wrongfooting the goalkeeper, before nestling into the bottom-right corner.
Motherwell racked up their fourth of the afternoon three-minutes later, as Inglis turned provider, with an accurate chipped through ball sailing invitingly into the path of Jardine, who guided a precise header into the bottom-right corner.
Less than a minute after the restart, Motherwell had their fifth of the afternoon. Substitute McCartney announced her return to the K-Park faithful in style after netting with her first touch of the game, thundering a miraculous strike from over 30-yards out into the top-right corner. A special moment for the midfielder after a lengthy period of time on the sidelines.
Motherwell rounded off their afternoon with their sixth of the game and fifth in the space of 10-minutes, as Collins who broke the deadlock, netted her second of the game, with a composed right-footed finish.
Brownlie’s side will look to replicate this clinical display as they travel to face Hearts in the final pre-international break match at the Oriam next weekend.
