Hearts Women made it two SWPL wins from two on Sunday as they defeated Spartans 5-0 at Oriam.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, manager Eva Olid named an unchanged 11 following last weekend’s 11-1 hammering of Queen’s Park as the women in maroon looked to keep momentum building ahead of Wednesday's match with Glasgow City.
The visitors proved tricky opponents for the Jambos last season, but they did manage to come out on top in every meeting and despite dominating the early possession, Emma Thomson in the Spartans goal wasn't troubled early on.
Much of Hearts’ first half opportunities had come from wide areas and it was that route that provided the opening goal on 27 minutes. Eilidh Shore pinged the ball wide left for Lauren Wade, she was allowed too much time to deliver a teasing cross for Joely Andrews and the number 18 stooped low to power her header past Thomson for her first goal in maroon.
Just two minutes later, Hearts doubled the lead. This time it was down the opposite flank, Monica Forsyth reached the byline and her pull-back found Sade Adamolekun. The ball bounced just in front of her, but she controlled her volley perfectly to keep it down as it flew into the roof of the net.
The visitors would’ve felt aggrieved at the scoreline, having kept Hearts largely at arm’s length for the opening quarter of the game, but the Jambos continued to get joy out wide and Andrews almost bagged her second of the afternoon when volleying over from Forsyth’s cross shortly before the interval.
Half-time: Hearts 2-0 Spartans
Another goal would’ve made sure of the points for Hearts, and it arrived five minutes into the second half. Wade was allowed too much space on the left flank and tried her luck from 25-yards, her swerving effort had too much power for Thomson and flew past the stopper to add the Jambos’ third of the afternoon.
Much like last weekend, Olid freshened things up early in the second half with Georgia Timms, Jackie Richards, Emma Brownlie and Naomi Powell all introduced as Hearts continued to dominate possession.
It was one-way traffic for the final half hour and the women in maroon deservedly added a fourth goal five minutes from the end as Waldie flicked home from Adamolekun’s free kick
There was no let up from Hearts either and they added further gloss to the scoreline with the final kick of the game. Adamolekun, not content with her wonderful strike in the first half, fired home a stunning fifth from distance to cap off a comfortable afternoon for the women in maroon.
Hearts: Johnstone, Robertson (Powell, 60), Forsyth © (Timms, 46), Shore (Brownlie, 60), Beattie, Wade (Richards, 60), Waldie, Adamolekun, Andrews (Hutchison, 71), Girasoli, E. Husband
Subs: Parker-Smith, Ilijoski, Brownlie, Timms, Jardine, Hutchison, J. Husband, Richards, Powell
Spartans: Thomson, Clelland ©, Browning, Douglas, Chuter, Foote, Jordan, Rennie, McKenna, Davies, Beaton-Hill
Subs: Yates, Reynolds, Corey, Anderson, Johnstone, Haggett
