But this set up Newbury for a spell of attacking pressure, with the visitors camped inside their own half. Newbury had a succession of corners, but they could not convert until the 15th minute, after Jazz Bird was fouled and Newbury were awarded a direct free kick 25 yards out to the left of the Stanford area. Gilmour took the set piece and fired in first time to the far top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. One nil to Newbury.

Just two minutes later, Gilmour had a great chance to extend Newbury’s lead, when she was played through for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but she was thwarted by the keeper’s outstretched hand. She did not have too long to wait however, when a long diagonal ball out of midfield from Alex Kovacsova, again found Gilmour in space. This time she made no mistake, taking the ball around the advancing keeper, to slot home for hers and Newbury’s second goal of the game. Two nil now to the home side.

And Newbury were firmly in charge just after the half hour mark, when Gilmour turned provider, taking yet another Newbury corner. The cross was met with a bullet header from Maria Rodrigues and this secured a three nil lead for Newbury. That score-line remained at the half time break.

There was no complacency or let-up from Newbury at the start of the second half, when they exploded straight from the kick off. Nicole Beesley progressing through the midfield and playing a delightful pass into Kovacsova, who had cut in from the left. She coolly slotted home for four nil.

And Newbury were five nil ahead after 51 minutes, when Kovacsova set up fellow winger, Jazz Bird, who slammed the ball into the corner of the net after a really determined run. With victory all but assured for Newbury, the tempo went out of the game a little in the second half. Although Newbury’s defensive line and goalkeeper remained fully concentrated and were focussed on protecting the clean sheet.

It took Newbury until the 81st minute to score again, after a strong run down the left flank by Beesley. She drew a foul from a Stanford defender ten yards from the side-line, but dusted herself off to take the resulting free kick herself. Her cross evaded the goalkeeper and caused havoc at the back post. With Stanford’s defence unable to clear, Issy Cording was on hand for Newbury to stab home just inside the upright. That sixth goal rounded off the scoring for the day and it had been an emphatic performance from the Newbury Development team, recording a six nil win and collecting another three points that sees them sat comfortably in mid-table, just three points behind local rivals Thatcham Flames, who are now in sixth place in the Division Two South table.

The joint Players of the Match for Newbury Development were two of their goal scorers, Issy Cording and Alex Kovacsova.

Match report by Sue Hewett