The Pride travelled to Stanton Ilkeston on Sunday, aware from the hosts’ recent results they had improved since early season and become defensively more solid. It was a baking hot afternoon and after the dry weather the pitch was hard and unforgiving.

Stanton kicked off but Pride won the ball quickly, winning an early corner, from which Ellie Coleman’s header was saved. The keeper’s long kick upfield was cut out by Molly Boultbee, the ball was then headed wide by Tash Allderidge to Jess Page, who slid a perfect slide rule pass into Beth Jones’ path for a first time finish to put The Pride ahead inside 2 minutes [1-0].

After making a good start, Pride weren’t quite flowing, however, as they were tending to pick the more difficult passes, rather than the simple ones that kept possession and the ball moving. Any balls that were played in the air were proving exceptionally difficult to control on the hard ground as they were bouncing up high, and balls played on the deck were were tending to gather speed and run away. Nevertheless, they were enjoying plenty of possession and there were several shots on goal, with defenders getting blocks and several good saves by the keeper - most notably one from Beth Jones saved low at the foot of the post.

It looked like Molly Boultbee would add to the score when the ball fell to her after a defender headed into her own player from Tash Allderidge’s corner, but the keeper somehow clawed Molly’s shot around the post at the expense of another corner.

There was an improvement in Pride’s play after a drinks break midway through the first half with better pass selections. From Tash Allderidge’s corner, the keeper got above a defender and Beth Jones to parry the ball, which fell to Eliot Sayavong near the penalty spot and she hooked the ball in off the crossbar with half an hour played [2-0].

There had been three lengthy stoppages for injuries, as well as the drinks break, meriting eight minutes of added time. With one minute of added time left, Otty Baker won the ball back on half way and laid the ball off to Tash Allderidge, who played it on to Libby Queen - and Libby played forward to Beth Jones, who hit the ball into the roof of the net, but landed awkwardly and turned her ankle, having to coming off to recover.

HT 3-0

Shortly after the restart, Libby Queen did well to work some space and get a shot away, which was saved at the foot of the post by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.

Three minutes later, Ellie Coleman won possession back and went on a driving run into the Stanton area, before hitting a rising shot which crashed back off the underside of the bar. A fourth goal did come, however, on the hour. Ellie Coleman went on a run down the wing, turned back and laid the ball back to Sophie Ayton, her cross evaded the players in the centre and was retrieved by Jess Page, who played a short pass to Libby Queen to finish in the far corner [4-0].

A minute later Stanton went close, when there was a diagonal ball to switch play from their left to the centre, and it was either very fortuitous or superb vision and execution to touch the ball on to a wide player coming in behind free and in space - her thunderous shot was finger tipped onto the crossbar by Jade Howell, and cleared.

There was a good combination between Libby Queen and Jess Page, and Jess’ dinked cross picked out Ellie Coleman in the centre, but her header was saved low down at the foot of the post

There were two late goals for The Pride. In the 91st minute Libby Queen won possession back half way inside the Stanton half, played a short square pass to Eliot Sayavong and she ran forward into space, beat two defenders, drew a third to her and slipped the ball aside to Beth Jones - the keeper was unable to hold her shot [5-0].

From the restart the ball was won back by Rachel Weaver and passed forward for Beth Jones, but intercepted and out for a corner kick. Beth retrieved the ball and took a quick short corner to Tash Allderidge, her cross just evaded Libby Queen in the centre, but Loren Roberts had sprinted upfield for the corner to arrive in the nick of time and her cushioned header back to Libby was met with a superbly controlled volley into the roof of the net from 12 yards [6-0].

There were eight minutes of time added on due to stoppages and the drinks break, during which Pride almost added another. Loren Roberts’ interception of a Stanton pass fell to Otty Baker, she passed infield to Libby Queen who drove forward into space and unleashed a shot from outside the area which came back off the crossbar, just evaded Beth Jones and Eliot Sayavong’s shot from the rebound went wide of the post.

In challenging conditions it was a good performance and result for The Pride against a resilient Stanton. Pride controlled the game from early on and were composed on the ball, with good build up play and it was pleasing to keep a clean sheet.

The Pride’s next game is a potentially decisive match at league leaders Borrowash Victoria on Wednesday (KO 7.30pm).