Portsmouth step up Championship preparation with victory over Chelsea U21s | OneFootball

Portsmouth stepped up their preparations for the new Barclays Women’s Championship season with a 5-0 win over Chelsea U21s at Westleigh Park this afternoon.

Emma Jones and Sophie Quirk both netted doubles for Pompey while summer signing Erin McLaughlin was also on target in the rout.

Jay Sadler’s side asserted their dominance from the start, creating early pressure and a good chance inside two minutes. Quirk latched onto a loose pass which was then met by Jones but her effort hit the post.

Jones then opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Reacting to a cross from Megan Hornby, the forward fired the ball into the bottom corner past the visiting goalkeeper.

Quirk doubled Pompey’s advantage in the 12th minute. She cut inside and was able to find the top-right corner of the Chelsea net.

Just before the half-hour mark, Jones got her second goal with a first-time finish on the half-volley from the edge of the area.

Following a clinical first half, the visitors started to make it more difficult for The Blues after the break. However, in the 57th minute, Quirk produced a close-range finish as she bagged her second goal of the game. She was assisted by Hornby, who met a long ball from captain Hannah Haughton to provide her with the opportunity to finish.

Minutes later, second half substitute McLaughlin brought the advantage up to five. She latched onto a loose pass and struck the ball over the keeper and into the bottom corner.

The visitors had their moments in attack, however, Portsmouth put in a solid defensive display to ensure that they retained their clean sheet throughout.

After winning their last three friendly matches, Portsmouth will next travel to Barclays Women’s Championship rivals Bristol City on 25 August 2024 before finishing their pre-season preparations at home to Arsenal U21s on 1 September 2024.