The women of steel continued to ramp up their pre-season preparations, after comfortably defeating Queens Park in a behind closed doors friendly at the Excelsior Stadium on Wednesday.
Mason Clark racked up four-goals, with academy graduate and second-half substitute, Lia Young, completing her second-half hat-trick. Carla Boyce completed the goals for Motherwell, with the visitors netting a late consolation.
Head Coach, Iain Robinson named four trialists in his starting XI, with Rebeca Cameron, Jenna Penman, Chelsie Watson, Tegan Browning, Shannon leishman, Mason Clark and Carla Boyce completing the starting team.
Motherwell’s imposed their top-flight experience from the outset, pressurising the visiting squad into trading possession deep into their own third.
Carla Boyce produced the first opportunity of the half, finding space on the left-hand side of the visiting penalty area, but her shot failed to trouble the keeper.
Mason Clark almost created the opener less than two-minutes later. The young forward carefully worked her way to the right byline before clipping a delicate pass across the face of goal, with trialist connecting on the half-volley, but her effort was comfortably parried clear.
The opening goal soon followed. Mason Clark again causing the visitors problems, latching onto an enticing through ball, and Clark calmly placed her strike past the keeper to break the deadlock.
The second came only three-minutes later. A precise through ball from Trialist left Carla Boyce bearing down on goal, and the striker elected to take aim from distance, brilliantly chipping the visiting goalkeeper from 30-yards to double the advantage.
Jenna Penman almost made it three minutes later. Trialists delivery across the face of goal escaped the grasp of the goalkeeper, leaving Penman free to strike at the back post, but the defenders effort smashed into the outstretched leg of the keeper.
The same opportunity replicated itself almost immediately. Trialists low delivery from the left-flank fell into the path of Clark, who from three-yards out, fired home the third.
Rebecca Cameron was called into action for the first time moments before the break. A long-range strike bounced awkwardly before the shot-stopper, but Cameron was able to react sharply to parry clear.
The reaction to Motherwell’s intense press, and Queens Park’s intention to continually build from the goalkeeper soon prevailed. The Glasgow-side intended to play their way around the press, but Clark intuitively intercepted, and following a clever one-two with Boyce, Clark coolly slotted home into the bottom-right corner. 4-0.
The fifth and final goal of the first-half came three-minutes from the break. Trialists driving run on the right allowed her to cut the ball back to Clark at the edge of the box, and the midfielder brilliantly curled a right-footed effort into the bottom-left corner. 5-0.
As the second-half resumed, both sides played a refreshed squad mixing experience and youth. Motherwell’s academy soon linked up for the sixth. Hannah Cairns’ chased the ball to the byline before lashing a low cross to Lia Young. Her initial attempt was blocked, but she made no mistake with the rebound.
Young had her second and Motherwell’s seventh 10-minutes later, curling a precise finish past the Queens Park shot-stopper. 7-0.
The visitors instantly pulled one back from the restart. A delivery from the right isn’t dealt with, and the striker prodded home from a yard out.
Young secured her hat-trick and Motherwell’s eighth in the latter stages, as Motherwell secured a comfortable 8-1 victory.
