Royal Wootton Bassett Town will be regular visitors to Dorset over the course of the 2023-24 season with four of their nine South West Regional Women's Football League Division One Eastern opponents based in the county. And Bassett will be hoping each subsequent trip will be as successful as their first following a comfortable 7-0 triumph away at Ridgeway.

Adam Wood's side were once again in dominant form as they made it four wins from four in all competitions to finish what has been a superb first month of the season top of the table.

Hannah Gulliver was the star of the show, netting an impressive hat trick to take her to six goals for the season already..

Gulliver grabbed the opener after just six minutes, slotting home after latching onto Erin Hemsley's through ball as the visitors made their early pressure count.

Amber Egerton soon made it 2-0, producing a delicate lob after a Gulliver corner was punched away only as far as the edge of the box.

After scoring twice in the opening ten minutes, Bassett had to wait until the closing stages of the first half for their third. When it arrived, Gulliver produced a poacher's finish, tapping in after a Holly Baker cross was deflected into her path.

Youngster Caily Morse made it 4-0 early in the second half, coolly slotting in after a well worked move involving Laura Jefferies and Honor Fraser.

Holly Baker then got in on the act, scoring twice in quick succession around the hour mark.

Her first rounded off another good move that involved Nia Davies, Morse, Gulliver and Fraser. The latter pair played a near one-two with Gulliver crossing to the far post where Baker was on hand to keep her cool and beat the onrushing 'keeper'.

Briony Hurd then launched a quick counter after jumping on a stray pass. Her through ball found Baker who, after a give-and-go with Jasmine Kennedy, made no mistake.

Morse could have had her second of the match, but somehow couldn't convert following a triple chance.

While she failed to convert, Gulliver made certain of her hat trick with quarter of an hour remaining, producing a simple finish following another defence splitting pass.

Bassett's attentions now turn back to the Women's FA Cup with next week's tie at Stockwood Wanderers. That begins a testing month of fixtures - but if they maintain the form they have shown in September then Wood's side can be confident of continuing their early season success.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 24th September 2023 at 19:30