LINNETS Ladies beat Long Lane 11-0 in the Liverpool County FA 9v9 Summer League.

Scorers Tempany Carlson, Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz 3, Megan Pickering 6 and Gabby Evans helped Linnets remain second with one game remaining.

With a very young side taking to the field - with a combined average age of just 20 - the captain's armband went to the more experienced Nat Pinnington.

She said: "Normally with big wins like this, although positive, you don’t really learn that much, but this was a very young side with a lot of the senior and regular players missing. The girls showed what they are capable of and all made contributions."

In the first minute, Megan Pickering, top scorer so far in what is effectively pre-season for the Cheshire Women's League campaign, had a shot parried for a corner while Chelsea Penny, an outstanding player-of-the-game on debut in central midfield, sent an early effort fizzing just wide.

In the fourth minute, the Linnets side went 1-0 up. Good play from the back created a crossing opportunity for Laura Underdown on the left wing, Tempany Carlson, another making her debut, timed her run from the right of the box and headed the ball across the 'keeper into the top corner.

It was soon 2-0. Laura Underdown played a long ball forward with Pickering first to react; a good first touch and lay-off setting up Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz who made no mistake.

The Linnets, having a lot of the ball and territory, yet patient in the build up, went 3-0 up within 10 minutes - more good work from Penny playing in Pickering wide right. She tricked her way past a covering defender and with an inch-perfect pass across goal, found Jones-Sacharewicz unmarked.

Pickering soon got her name on the scoresheet with two goals in quick succession making it 5-0 within 12 minutes. Long Lane never troubled Pinnington in goal - that wasn’t to say they didn’t create chances but the back three of Gabby Evans, Paige Hymas and Fatima Mahamud were equal to everything.

The second half brought a few changes for the Linnets. Pinnington handed over the captaincy to Pickering on being replaced in goal by Charlotte Dunbebin and Mahamud made way for Casey Vibrans, energetic and committed in an unfamiliar right-back berth.

Within a minute of the restart, Pickering had her hat-trick, Penny again providing a well- timed pass into space, before adding her fourth on 49 minutes after Jones-Sacharewicz had shown skill and speed.

Penny's 20-yard shot from a corner by the excellent Carlson unluckily bounced down and out off the bar but the predatory Pickering reacted quickest for her fifth.

Late positional changes were pivotal in the ninth. Underdown, Dunbebin, Vibrans and Penny set up Pickering for her double hat-trick.

Jones-Sacharewicz got her rewards for another excellent display, completing her first hat-trick for the team for 10-0 and with time almost up Evans, by this time playing right back pushed forward to accept the rebound to fellow youngster Carlson's effort.

Six-goal Megan Pickering said: "It's nice to win and score lots of goals from an individual perspective and collectively as a team, but to keep another clean is a big positive also, especially when you consider the back three hadn’t had much game time together."

Runcorn Linnets Ladies: Pinnington (capt) (Dunbebin), Evans, Hymas, Mahamud (Vibrans), Underdown, Penny, Carlson, Jones-Sacharewicz, Pickering.