Pompey Women feel at home at Fratton Park as Swindon are brushed aside

Pompey Women made a positive start to life at Fratton Park as a permanent residence, easing to a 4-0 victory over Swindon on Sunday.

The Blues dominated throughout the National League contest and took an early lead through summer signing Sofia Mallon.

It was a more familiar face in Ange Nixon who increased the lead before the break, with Mallon and substitute Zoe Barratt completing a comfortable win in the second half.

Jay Sadler made two changes to the side that conceded a stoppage-time goal to lose at Fulham on the opening day of the new season.

Kerry Beattie and Amelia Hazard both came into the starting line-up for their home debuts, as Barratt and Freya Jones dropped to the bench.

The hosts showed they meant business right from the start and soon set about causing problems for their newly-promoted opponents

All the action was taking place in the Swindon half, as the Blues probed relentlessly in search of an opener.

And it almost arrived when Beattie got free in the box and hit a shot that was deflected inches past the post.

That was only a brief respite for the Robins, however, as the deadlock was broken on seven minutes when Alisha Ware’s corner was deftly headed home by Mallon.

The lead was almost doubled straight away, as Nixon stole possession and cut along the area before firing narrowly wide.

There was a first chance for the visitors when Tori St Clair broke forward and hit an angled effort that flew over.

But the Blues were soon back on the attack and Hazard’s 35-yard strike dipped narrowly over before another long-range attempt from Jemima Dahou flew into the arms of Hannah Cox.

The keeper also denied Beattie, although clear-cut openings did start to dry up a bit as the first half progressed.

Swindon were given a chance of their own when Dahou was caught in possession and Taylor Macdonald spotted Hermione Cull off her line, but she could not quite get the lob right.

Pompey then began to move through the gears again and Beattie probably should have guided her header on target when picked out by Mallon.

But Nixon was more clinical on the half-hour mark when she met another Mallon delivery to increase the lead.

Some sloppy play almost allowed the visitors back into the game, though, with possession lost high up the pitch and chances to clear wasted before Annie Colston eventually fired straight at Cull.

But the Blues shook that off to go close to adding another goal just before the interval, with yet another Mallon cross nodded just wide by Beattie.

Sadler made a switch at the break, as Annie Wilding was withdrawn and replaced by Jones, with Ava Rowbotham moving into the back four.

The hosts immediately set about trying to attack their opponents in the search for another goal to surely remove any doubt.

But they had to wait until 63 minutes to finally get their third of the afternoon, which arrived after Jones had been fouled.

While she was off the pitch receiving treatment, Dahou sent a deep free-kick into the area, where the ball was cleared straight to Mallon, who gratefully slotted away her second of the game.

The forward came close to completing a hat-trick moments later, but fired straight at Cox from the edge of the area.

A few more changes followed, as Georgie Freeland, Barratt and debutant Esta Roberts all came on for Hazard, Nixon and Dahou.

And with the contest starting to peter out, it was Roberts who woke everyone up with a fierce long-range strike that only just missed the target.

Jones then went even closer to scoring a fourth for the Blues, with an opportunistic stoppage-time effort that rattled the crossbar.

But a resounding win was wrapped up right at the very end, as Freeland scrambled the ball to Barratt, who lashed it home.

Speaking at the final whistle, boss Sadler said: ‘I think we're happy, but without being satisfied.

‘I think we were good throughout large spells of the game. There were moments where we cranked it up and we were really good.

‘Difficult to defend, but overall I think it was a good performance, one we've got to be happy with. It's a clean sheet.

‘It's obviously a positive reaction from last weekend, and it's four goals scored here in our first game.’

Pompey: Cull; Bull (c), Wilding (Jones 46), Suttie, Ware; Rowbotham, Dahou (Roberts 71); Mallon, Hazard (Freeland 64), Nixon (Barratt 71); Beattie. Subs not used: Pettit, Hughes.