A STUNNING hat-trick from player of the match Kim Roberts fired Linnets Ladies to 6-0 success in their first home outing of the Cheshire Women’s League campaign.

An accomplished victory at The Millbank Linnets Stadium on Sunday made it two league wins from two but despite netting three times in each half, they never needed to escape third gear.

Mandy Kennedy returned for absentee Sarah Felton in central midfield, pairing up with influential playmaker Chelsea Penny. Paige Hymas slotted in at centre half alongside Tish Collins in the only other change from the opening day.

A slow start saw both sides finding each other out and only the odd chance at either end.

However, Penny founded and finished the move which gave the hosts a 15th-minute lead. Jones-Sacharewicz and Kennedy played their parts in between with Penny finally latching onto an attempted clearance to power home from outside the box, beating the ‘keeper at her left post.

The Linnets’ defence was at sixes and sevens at times early on, but Collins’ composure and the confidence between the sticks of Nat Pinnington soon settled them down.

The second goal came in the 28th minute, Megan Pickering’s long throw found Roberts at the far left post; her control and turn were perfect and a lofted finish back across goal, and over the ‘keeper, simply sublime.

Four minutes later, it was 3-0. Gabby Evans found Kennedy, whose long pass gave Carlson the opportunity to stretch her legs down the touchline. A nice pass back inside to Pickering led to the striker beating a defender before unselfishly picking out unmarked scorer Jones-Sacharewicz with her cross.

Into the second half, the Linnets began to play some good football; confident on the ball and waiting patiently for the right opportunities.

In their first change, in the 65th minute, Jones-Sacharewicz made way for replacement Abby Riley, who took a left-wing position with Roberts moving up top to partner Pickering.

In the 70th minute, the home side added a fourth. Penny’s well-weighted pass rewarded Pickering’s run into the right channel. Keeping the ball in play, the striker beat two defenders and, after cutting into the penalty area from the by-line, ghosted past a third to score from a very acute angle.

Within three minutes, Pickering turned provider again. First to react to a loose ball on the edge, she made ground into the area on the left and passed square for Roberts, who had pulled away from her marker, to comfortably grab her second.

The introduction 10 minutes from time of Evelin Zalavari as a right winger brought a switch to the left for Carlson with Riley dropping into the left-back berth, where young Mary Rossiter-Gurrell had again performed solidly.

Pickering should have increased the lead on 81 minutes, wanting one touch too many after a mazy run but Roberts deservedly completed her hat-trick in the 84th by volleying in from Carlson’s right-wing corner.

Runcorn Linnets Ladies: Pinnington, Rossiter-Gurrell (Zalavari 80), Collins, Hymas, Evans, Roberts, Kennedy, Penny, Carlson, Jones-Sacharewicz (Riley 65), Pickering. Subs not Used Sadie Bond, Charlotte Dunbebin