And after a busy summer of transition, new ownership and a rebrand, this was the first competitive match under new Head Coach, Jamie Phillip.
The game started with Yeovil dominating possession within the first five minutes and looking threatening. Returning striker Sarah Wiltshire cut inside her defender and her shot came off the back post.
New winger Meesha Dudley-Jones looked dangerous with surging runs and crosses with the closest coming when Erin Blomfield just failed to make contact with her head from three yards.
Yeovil finally found the net following excellent build up between Annie Heatherson and Sarah Wiltshire left the former to nod home.
Phillip’s squad kept threatening through the front line of Wiltshire, Bloomfield, Heatherson, and Dudley-Jones.
Yeovil doubled their lead on 23 minutes when Erin Bloomfield picked up a second ball in the middle of the park and played a lofted through ball to Dudley-Jones. The Manchester City Academy graduate left the goalkeeper stranded as she curled the ball across into the back post.
The pressure did not relent. Wiltshire found the woodwork again before Yeovil captain, Heatherson, with time and space, rocketed a strike into the top right corner.
Another of Phillip’s recruits this summer, Kelly Aldridge, got in on the action before the half hour mark with tidy build-up play and clever movement found Aldridge in space but Hounslow’s keeper Gillian Kasirye got down well to block with her feet.
Hounslow looked to threaten as half time loomed with a couple of breakaways but they failed to test Yeovil #1 Beth Howard.
Yeovil regained control of the possession and were clinical again. The ball found its way to Aldridge and with her back to goal turned sharply and slotted it home from just outside the 6yard box.
The second half started like the first with Yeovil quickly gaining the ball and within two minutes of the restart Megan Wood’s run and low cross evade everyone but Kelly Aldridge who at the second time of asking knocked it over the ‘keeper.
Yeovil had chances, the best of which requiring a great fingertip save from Kairye in the Hounslow goal to deny Wiltshire getting on the end of a Bloomfield through ball.
The game evened up for a 15 minute spell as Hounslow rallied and almost scored a freak goal. A wide free kick was mis-read by Howard in the Yeovil goal only for it to hit the post and rebound off her to safety.
Wiltshire hit the wood work again from a cut back after a Hounslow pass back. But she was not to be denied on 77 minutes. Annie Heatherson drove at the heart of the Hounslow defence only to be fouled inches outside the area. The resulting free kick was a whistler from Wiltshire flying straight into the top corner.
Yeovil were back in control after that and Aldridge soon got back in amongst the action. A bit of pin ball in the box before the ball landed at the feet of the midfielder and she calmly tucked it away into the side net.
A hopeful ball through found Heatherson on-side with the Hounslow defence appealing and with only the ‘keeper to beat she squared to Wiltshire for an easy tap in for her second of the afternoon.
With only minutes remaining Yeovil were not done and continued to knock the ball about. The second hat-trick of the day went to Wiltshire. Brilliantly worked play and the goalkeeper off her line, Wiltshire’s quick thinking to attempt a lob from 25 yards gave Yeovil their ninth and final goal of the game.
Words: Andy Martin
Photo: Mike Halford
