FC Kilmarnock 6 - 1 Cove Rangers
(SWPL - Blair Park, 5th October 2003, 2.00pm Kick Off)

Killie came out for this one with all guns blazing with new signings Nicki Grant and Stacey Cook dictating the play from midfield. The first goal was only ten minutes in the making. Some silky stuff out on the wing from Fowler and Sneddon saw McLaughlin latch onto the resultant cross and rifle home from short range.

Killie's second goal wasn't far behind and arrived in the home side's best spell of the game. Grant was the architect showing great drive from midfield, she guided the ball through to Jo Love who stroked the ball home to make the score 2-0.

Grant herself got her name on the score sheet next, she fired home the next goal in what was proving to be an exceptional debut. Lesley Fowler also got in on the act to put Killie four nil up going into the interval, an excellent first half performance which was never going to be easily emulated in the second period of play.

As anticipated, the home side started pretty slowly after the re-start and the girls seemed to have taken their foot off the gas. However, it wasn't until the 75th minute that Cove managed to take advantage and they clawed one back as a cross from the left curled in over Johnstone's head.

That goal seemed to spark Killie back into action. Fowler drove the team forward and five minutes later Killie restored the deficit. Once again it started with good work from Fowler and Sneddon on the right who fed the ball through to Bev McLaughlin. She quickly laid it off to Jo Love who drove home her second of the afternoon.

There was still enough time on the clock for Killie to put the result well beyond Cove with what was arguably the best goal of the match. McLaughlin's second was a fantastic solo effort dispatched into the rigging only after she had left not one, not two but three defenders in her wake...one for the scrap book.

All in all it was another great performance by the Killie girls, especially as top of the table Hibernian only managed a draw against Glasgow City. If Killie win their games in hand they will now go clear at the top themselves and that should hold them in good stead for the League Cup Semi-Final against Hamilton this Sunday.

Manager Jim Chapman had mixed feelings about the result, he said: "I was pleased with the first-half performance but they struggled in the second half and we'll have to do something about that."

FC Kilmarnock: Johnstone, Sneddon, J.Smith, Kerr, Burns, Love, Fowler, McLaughlin, McCormack, Cook, Grant
Subs: Seers, Hough, L.Smith

Match Report © Lynne Wason