Albion Women produced a convincing pre-season performance to beat Leafield Athletic in a behind closed doors friendly on Wednesday evening.
Five different goalscorers put plenty of daylight between the Baggies and their Midlands counterparts in their first win of pre-season.
Abbey Jones opened the scoring for Martyn Irvine’s side, but a second half display, featuring efforts from Naomi Powell, Liv Rabjohn, Rhianne Rush and Hannah George put the scoreline beyond doubt.
Albion will now take on Portsmouth in their penultimate pre-season encounter on Sunday afternoon.
The Baggies were clearly keen to improve upon Sunday’s draw with Real Bedford, and came out of the traps quickly.
Riya Mannu, back in navy-blue-and-white for the first time since rejoining, combined well with Jones on two occasions - but saw both efforts smuggled behind by the Leafield defence.
The young forward was keen to create an opportunity of her own moments later, she darted inside to create space for herself, only to see her strike blazed over the crossbar.
Some enjoyable combination play from the Baggies continued their promising first-half form, Rabjohn drilled an effort, frustratingly, into the base of the post, before Ella Haughey sent a free-kick into the side-netting.
Irvine’s side did find their opening, though. Rabjohn sent a pinpoint cross towards the back post, leaving Jones the task of stabbing home for her first in Albion colours.
And they could’ve added a second moments later, when Mannu nodded Zoe Creaney’s diagonal pass into the arms of the visiting goalkeeper to round off the first half.
Albion turned on the style in the second period. George saw a long-range attempt tipped onto the bar, leaving Naomi Powell to bundle home the resulting corner for the hosts’ second.
Rabjohn went from creator to scorer on the hour mark. Substitute Jess Collyer sent a perfect cutback into the skipper’s path, with her able to slam away the Baggies’ third.
Substitute Rhianne Rush got in on the scoring act with ’20 to play with a delightful effort. She tried her luck from 40 yards and it flew over the Leafield goalkeeper and into the back of the net for four.
With plenty of trialists and U18s now on the field, the hosts didn’t let-up in their goalscoring endeavours. Naomi Sharp’s corner found the head of George, who nodded away a fifth - sealing an important pre-season win for the Albion.
Albion Women: Clarke; Reynolds (Trialist 46’), Creaney (George HT), Day (Green 75’), Haughey (Harlin 60’); Sharp, Powell (Rush 60’), Rabjohn; Jones (Collyer HT), Oakley (Campbell 60’), Mannu (Downie 60’).
Substitutes: Grimshaw.
