Only one change was made to the team that picked up maximum points at a rain-soaked Bridgwater last Sunday, with Becs Bell coming in for Amelia Davies. A strong bench included Katie Cooper, Jess Richardson and, for the first time this season, Georgia Tibble.

The visitors made a bright start, when Bell turned on a quickly taken throw-in and fired into the side netting after only six minutes.

Moments later, the hosts showed their hand by Erin Hartigan recycling an uncleared twenty- yarder from the boot of Molly Lygo who rammed home, on the run, at the second time of asking. Only for the assistant referee to play party pooper with an offside call.

Dani Lane then headed a Holly Talbut-Smith cross onto the roof of the net, as the Rebels looked to double their advantage in the early stages.

Katie Young came even closer when she danced her way through a trio of yellow shirts but could only poke her final shot at home ‘keeper Caitlin Crierie.

Midway through the opening period, a second strike did find the back of the United net, courtesy of a brilliant back to front move that started with netminder Lauren Dolbear. ‘Loz’ passed forward to Emily Linscer, who took the gauntlet and very much ran with it, breaking into enemy territory and finding Tierney Scott. ‘T’ slipped in Bell who applied the coup de grace via a left-footed dink over custodian Crierie.

The in-form Scott almost made it three within seconds; leading a solo counter-attack from an Abingdon corner and bursting all the way to the opposing penalty area, where she dragged her effort marginally the wrong side of the far post.

It took a mere two minutes, after the change of ends, for Humphrey to pounce on a misplaced pass at the back and tee-up ‘T’ (Scott) for a low, right-sided delivery that Lane had blocked by a home defender. Scotty proved too hotty – 1990’s WWE reference alert – when her follow-up attempt was spilled by Crierie, to ensure the Reds winger notched for the fourth game in a row.

A further seven had ticked by prior to Lane beating three players en route to reaching the byline, from where she pulled the ball back for Humphrey to emphatically side-foot home a third.

Only the brilliance of an airborne Crierie denied Scott her brace, following a left wing charge and angled shot by the Reds’ top scorer, before United’s custodian parried another effort from the same player soon after. Although this time, Talbut-Smith returned a right-sided cross-cum-shot that left the luckless Crierie rooted to the spot, as it dropped over her head and into the far side of the net.

Three goals in ten minutes was completed courtesy of Young locating Scott on the other side of the pitch and the fearless forward targeted the top corner, from the top corner of the eighteen yard box. A case of two for T, if you will.

Scott then turned provider when she centred for the very recently introduced Tibble to nod down into the path of Humphrey, who brought the cucumber sandwiches, as she maintained a battle for the match ball with Scott by bagging her second of the afternoon too.

In all honesty, the Oxfordshire-based hosts were never completely out of the game, often threatening their guests’ goal but without really testing Dolbear in it.

One of their openings was self-engineered by Holly Sellwood, who dispossessed Cooper in the Worthing ‘d’ but pulled her attempt well wide.

Virtually in the same breath, Lygo lined up a free-kick which went up and over the defensive wall and up and over it’s intended target.

A cat then metaphorically entered the arena to put itself amongst the proverbial pigeons, when Sellwood made no mistake with a well-taken finish; working room on the right for a fine finish into the far top corner.

Ten minutes from the end of another Worthing goal fest – standing at twenty in four matches when the scoreline read six-one – Lane broke up another promising home move, advancing prior to passing play onto Tibble in the centre circle. ‘G’ subsequently slid a perfect pass on the outside of Humphrey, who’s first-time strike was held onto, low down, by Crierie.

Not that the overworked Guardian of the Goal could do much when Talbut-Smith produced a near-identical conclusion to her earlier effort; although this one was definitely more shot than cross.

So, with three players now on hat-tricks, Humphrey tried to claim the match ball ahead of both Scott and Talbut-Smith, though, on this occasion, ‘Soph’ was fractionally off target. However, once again, her time would very much come.

Ninety showed on the referee’s timepiece when Jasmin Nassar announced her arrival with a forward drive, followed by a nail-bitingly close ending that appeared to be turned behind for a flag-kick. Fortunately, the eyesight of the man in the middle was markedly better than that of the one taking notes for this match report.

Now many, of course, would consider the number thirteen to be unlucky and, unfortunately for it’s wearer Nassar, that prophecy came true, by way of the aforementioned substitute tripping the tricky Humphrey just inside the byline for a late penalty. Who would take it though and have the opportunity to round off a memorable day with a hat-trick ?

No question! ‘Soph’ not only earned the right to but actually rippled the net from twelve yards; Crierie going in the right direction but unable to keep out Humphrey’s (well-placed) hat-trick goal.