JERSEY Bulls Women continued their unbeaten start to the South East Counties Women’s League Surrey Division One with a commanding 7-0 win away at Hersham.
The dominant away performance strengthened their position at the top of the table and extended the momentum that has defined their outstanding campaign so far.
The Bulls, now three points clear of second-placed Meadow Sports after seven games, remain the only unbeaten side in the division.
Their latest victory was again built on intensity, sharp execution and a clinical edge in the final third, with Anita Tavares and Holly Sundby central to the action once again throughout a one-sided afternoon.
Hersham Women 0
Jersey Bulls Women 7
H. Sundby 1′ 7′, Silva-Pinto 12′, Tavares 28′ 46′ 84′, Morris 50′
HT Score: 0-4
Player of the Match: Anita Tavares
The visitors made the perfect start, scoring after just 40 seconds when Sundby reacted quickest to turn in the rebound after her initial effort had been well saved. It set the tone for a blistering opening spell that head coach Chad Morris later described as one of the team’s strongest starts of the season.
“We came out the traps really fast,” Morris said. “We were 1-0 up in under three minutes, 3-0 up in under 15 and 4-0 up inside 29. What that gave us going into the second half was the opportunity to change shape and experiment, which you never get the chance to do in a live game. That was a big positive.”
The Bulls doubled their lead in the seventh minute when Tavares linked cleverly with Sundby, who drilled home her second of the afternoon.
Five minutes later, Tavares burst down the flank before delivering a pinpoint cross for Sam Silva-Pinto to convert from close range and make it 3-0.
With Hersham set up in a 5-4-1 shape, the hosts struggled to deal with Jersey’s intensity, particularly in wide areas.
Despite the home side’s efforts, they were unable to slow the rhythm of a Bulls side full of confidence and attacking fluency.
The visitors added their fourth on 28 minutes when Leah Morris picked out Tavares, who finished confidently to cap a superb first half.
Morris admitted he expected the hosts to set up more conservatively, explaining: “We were slightly surprised they didn’t adopt a similar way of playing to Horley.”
“From the footage, we thought they might sit in a mid-block and try to frustrate us early on. But their game plan seemed to be to go toe-to-toe with us. That’s their prerogative, of course, but we were a bit surprised.”
The Bulls entered the interval having registered ten corners to Hersham’s none, and that dominance continued almost instantly after the restart.
Just 50 seconds into the second half, Tavares wrong-footed the Hersham goalkeeper with a superb 30-yard strike.
Ten minutes later, Morris produced one of the goals of the afternoon, firing from 40 yards and leaving the Hersham goalkeeper helpless as the ball sailed into the net for 6-0.
The final goal arrived seven minutes from time when Tavares pounced on a poor clearance, drove into the box, rounded the keeper and tapped home her third of the game, taking her season tally to an extraordinary 11 goals and ten assists in seven matches.
For Morris, the manner of the display was especially pleasing given the demands of travelling away from home.
“The travel didn’t seem to affect the players at all,” he said. “The intensity in the warm-up was really good, and they took that straight into the game. The way they started showed how quickly they were getting around the pitch. I thought they were excellent.”
With the Bulls now firmly in the promotion race, Morris is clear about the targets ahead.
“We need three more wins to guarantee a top-seven finish, which gets us into the playoffs,” he said. “So the aim is to get that done and then assess what teams are likely to be in the playoff picture. From there, we go again.”
Next up is an away trip to ninth-placed Molesey Athletic, where the Bulls will look to preserve both their unbeaten record and their growing lead at the top.
Given their form, the Jersey side will head into the fixture as strong favourites, but Morris insists the focus must remain the same, stating: “As long as we keep our standards high, the chances will keep coming.”
Jersey Bulls Women Squad: Chantelle Renouard, Tiffany Sundby, Lauren Queree, Aine Ruth, Danielle Bradshaw, Ella Brennand, Emily Le Page, Holly Sundby (c), Anita Tavares. Leah Morris, Sam Silva Substitutes: Coco Leonard, Amy Guthrie, Lara Couvert
