Hearts Women picked up another three SWPL points on Sunday as they thrashed Motherwell 6-1 at Oriam on Sunday.
Eva Olid made six changes to the side that defeated Dundee United last time out as Lisa Robertson, Georgia Timms, Lauren Wade, Lizzie Waldie, Joely Andrews and Carly Girasoli all returned to the starting 11.
It was imperative for the Jambos to keep momentum high heading into Friday’s Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road, and they hit the front after 15 minutes.
The visitors were holding a high line and pressing Hearts in the early exchanges and as a result, there were very few clear openings in the first half.
Hearts’ wingbacks have played a big part in their attacks this season and it paved the way for the opener, as Emma Brownlie’s looping cross was powered home by the head of Georgia Timms.
The women in maroon were seeing a lot of the ball in the early stages, but it was mainly along their backline and when Morgan Cross nipped in to intercept a slack pass, Charlotte Parker-Smith was forced to make a fairly routine save to keep the Jambos ahead.
The visitors continued to frustrate Hearts from open play, but the second goal almost arrived from a set play on the half hour mark. Kayla Jardine’s corner caused a scramble in the box, but no maroon jersey was able to force the ball home as the visitors survived a scare.
Just seven minutes later however, Hearts did double their lead and again, it came from positive play down the right. This time it was Jess Husband the provider as Joely Andrews met her delivery with a diving header into the bottom corner to give the Jambos some breathing space going into the interval.
Half-time: Hearts 2-0 Motherwell
The visitors would’ve felt aggrieved to have been two goals down at the interval and they halved the deficit five minutes after the break as Chelsie Watson curled home a free kick from 20-yards.
The Jambos weren’t in the mood to give Motherwell any hope however and after Emily Mutch had denied Lauren Wade at point-blank range, the stopper spilled an effort from distance and Emma Brownlie was fastest to react to fire into the empty net and restore the two-goal lead just two minutes later.
It was a good reaction from the women in maroon to the visitors’ goal and the points were sealed in fine fashion as substitute Monica Forsyth made it 4-1 on 55 minutes. The number seven cut in off the right flank, riding a challenge, before curling the ball high into the roof of the net past Mutch.
It was one-way traffic at this point and Lisa Robertson bagged her first goal for the club to make it five just after the hour mark. Motherwell lost possession midway inside their own half and Robertson spotted Mutch off her line, lobbing the ball expertly over the keeper and into the empty net.
The Jambos added a sixth in the final minute of normal time as Brownlie bagged her second of the afternoon, turning the ball home from close-range as the visitors failed to deal with a cross into the box.
That was the icing on the cake of a comfortable afternoon for Hearts as attention now turns to Friday’s Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road.
Hearts: Parker-Smith, Brownlie ©, Robertson, Shore, Timms, Wade (Richards, 76), Waldie, Jardine (Adamolekun, 46), Andrews (Beattie, 65), Girasoli (E. Husband, 46), J. Husband (Forsyth, 52)
Subs: Johnstone, Ilijoski, Forsyth, Beattie, Adamolekun, E. Husband, Richards, Broadrick, Powell
Motherwell: Mutch, Penman, Watson, Addie, Collins, Rice, Cross, Todd, Inglis ©, Boyes, McGoldrick
Subs: Ronald, Clark, Sharkey, Gibb, Robb, McCartney
