LOOKING to emulate the classes of 2000, ‘04, ‘09 and ‘11, four-time winners of the Warehouse Fitness-sponsored Floodlit Cup Douglas Royal kicked off this season’s competition in outstanding style by defeating Castletown 11-1 on Sunday.
Key to the victory was the width provided by Bekkie Colquitt and Rebecca Cole, the midfielder mastery of Sarah Breen, Kym Hicklin superbly breaking up the opposing attacks as well as providing the launch-pad for their attacks and the clinical finishing of Donna Shimmin and Leanne Quayle.
With only five minutes played, Royal opened the scoring when Hicklin’s diagonal pass aimed to the left was collected by Cole who fired home a shot across goal and into the bottom-right corner.
Siobhann Lockwood soon doubled their lead, dispatching into the goal after receiving Breen’s through-ball.
Quayle completed a hat-trick on either side of half-time. The former Malew player’s first came after collecting a half-clearance before driving in her shot from the edge of the box. She netted again before half-time, expertly placing Colquitt’s cut-back into the back of the net.
The treble was complete shortly after the interval when she slot home from close range following Cole’s corner.
Shimmin then got her name on the scoresheet after reacting quickest to Jane Caley’s parry for their sixth, before Colquitt placed the ball into an unguarded net after Shimmin’s initial effort had hit the post. The latter then made it 8-0 when she cut in from left and, although Caley got her palms onto the ball, she couldn’t prevent the ball entering the net.
Quayle netted her fourth of the afternoon after receiving Cole’s pass from the left and Sarah Breen made it double figures, walking the ball into the net following a defensive mix-up.
It wasn’t long until Shimmin completed her own hat-trick after being set free from a through-ball and placed her effort home.
Royal got complacent towards the final whistle which allowed Castletown to score following a free-kick that was only half-cleared, Kia Buchan taking advantage to head home a consolation.
Douglas Royal: Kerri Williams, Zoe Hawley Tracy Craig 47m), Andrea Lace (Sharon Kearns 47m), Kym Hicklin (Katie Halsall 57m), Leanne Quayle, Siobhan Lockwood, Rebecca Cole, Bekkie Colquitt, Kerry Lockwood, Donna Shimmin, Sarah Breen
Castletown: Jane Caley, Christina Sutton, Donna Primrose-Smith, Dawn Winn, Hannah Cowell, Sarah Denny, Joeanne Roney, Emma Davenport, Kira Buchan, Shirley Tung (Caitlin Qualtrough 65m), Justine Carran.
Gymnasium 4, Rushen United 0
In the remaining group B match, Gymnasium defeated Rushen United 4-0, however the southerners are proving to be a tougher nut to crack with some fine individual performances, most notably Hannah Keggin with her acrobatics between the sticks despite picking up an injury during the closing stages of the first half.
The Tromode side scored first when Alannah Hall’s cutback was flicked into the air for an advancing Sammie MacDonald to place her effort into the net.
Former Rushen player Gill Christian saw a long-range effort palmed onto the post but Gymns soon doubled their lead when Hall’s corner was headed home by Lauren Miller
Mia Brigantova netted after the oranges for Gymns’ third, reacting to Miller’s cross that was fumbled before Hall completed her scoring with a fearsome shot across goal that rebounded off the post to make it 4-0. The Rushen goal lead a charmed life with Hall twice, MacDonald and Beckley having efforts strike the crossbar.
Gymnasium: Suzie Maiden, Elaine Wiseman, Kim Carney, Kayleigh Whitehead (Mia Brigantova 36m), Kath Kennedy, Rachael Beckley, Sam MacDonald, Gill Christian, Alannah Hall, Lauren Miller (Rachel Shepherd 55m), Zoe Carney
Rushen Utd: Hannah Keggin, Jeni Bruce, Chelsie Watterson, Hayley Hemsley, Hannah Hattersley, Lauren Potts, Jess Smith, Nicole Reilly, Sam White, Carole Kneen, Alex Brooker
l In the only league match played on Sunday, Colby defeated Laxey 15-2.
Fay Holland (4), Natalie Swales (3), Chloe Swales (3), Tracy Wilson (2), Courtney Goldsmith (2) and Laura Beggs scored for the southerners, while the Miners reply came via a Rhiannon Brew brace.