SSFC Women thrash Whitehaven AFC Ladies 11-0 at Harton Welfare

South Shields Women rounded up their pre-season preparations with an 11-0 thrashing of Whitehaven AFC Ladies at Harton Welfare on Sunday.

It was a stunning performance, from start to finish, where many players got on the scoresheet - Becki McMahon was up first with her tap-in within 90 seconds of the game’s start.

Jen Wootten slotted in Eve Gatens’ curving through ball to double Shields’ advantage, and before too long it was three when Sophie Greener launched one of her trademark flick and volleys into the bottom left corner.

The flurry of first-half goals only intensified from that point: Legg knocked home Shields’ fourth of the afternoon, Gatens herself set up the team’s fifth for Wootten to finish and Jaz Elliott-Wood headed it in from a corner to make it six.

A quiet period in the second-half followed but the goals sharply returned with a vengeance. 

New arrivals Erin Naylor and Eva McDonald contributed brilliantly to get the latter’s first goal for Shields, and the lasses’ seventh of the match.

Legg made it eight with a strong strike into the far corner of the net, before Ellie White struck from range to hit pretty much the same spot. 

Gatens grabbed another soon after and The Mariners were into double digits on a truly unbelievable afternoon.

It was contentious who scored the final goal of the game: it came from a Gatens corner, and the subsequent scramble, after the Whitehaven AFC keeper fumbled the ball, obscured things slightly.

White appeared to backheel it into the back of the net so the goal will be attributed to her. 

Sunday’s performance should go a long way in proving to the team and any spectators alike that the work they are putting in behind the scenes is truly paying off.

Credit must go out to the travelling Whitehaven AFC support as well as their players and management for making the long journey today in spite of the scoreline.

Up next is the start of the league season, when The Mariners host Spennymoor Town Ladies on Sunday, September 1st.

More information will be available closer to matchday as to the venues and timings. 

South Shields Women: Gowans, Mole, May, Ali, Greener, Legg, Gatens, Wootten, England, McMahon, Elliott-Wood.

Substitutes: White, McDonald, Naylor, Longstaff, Foster (all played).