Glenfield Rovers made a statement of some significance in their Lotto Northern Premier Women's League engagement at Ken Maunder Park on Easter Sunday, as reigning champions Lynn-Avon United were torn apart 7-0 by opponents whose pursuit of a first-ever women's title is, on the evidence of this display, going to take some stopping. Defeats for Lynn-Avon have been almost as rare as hen's teeth since the club's Premier Women's team first took to the park in 1993. Indeed, prior to this campaign, just 25 reversals have been suffered by the team in some 325 league and cup matches during those seventeen seasons. None, however, even begin to compare with this annihilation - there's no other word more apt to describe it! Little wonder coach Terry McCahill publicly apologised to the club's supporters at the post-match function for what was a display which flew in the face of everything the club has come to represent where the women's game in particular is concerned. Quite simply, the title-holders were a distinct second-best, right across the park. Indeed, but for profligate finishing and some fine saves by Ashleigh Cox, a defeat of double-figure proportions would have been a reality, and would have more accurately reflected Glenfield's performance - it merited such a scoreline. They tore into Lynn-Avon from the first whistle, and could have been in front after just 105 seconds - Jamie Hackett's twenty-yarder fizzed over the bar after Hannah Wilkinson, Katie Hoyle and Katie Rood had combined to good effect. United responded quickly, Kate Seatter and Casey Ridsdale linking to release Caitlin Campbell through the inside right channel, but Pam Yates anticipated the danger and saved at her opponent's feet in the fourth minute. Two minutes later, Rovers opened the scoring. Hackett gathered the ball in midfield and clipped a nicely weighted pass through the inside right channel for Wilkinson to stride onto. She deftly lifted the ball over the advancing figure of Cox and into the far corner of the net. Cox was in action again eight minutes later, saving at the second attempt from Hoyle's close-range header after Wilkinson and Rood had combined on the right, with the 2009 NPWL Player of the Year providing a quality cross for the midfielder to exploit. After Campbell had shot tamely at Yates from distance - Seatter and Amber Hearn combined to create the opening, and Hoyle had lashed a twenty-five yarder narrowly over the crossbar after Hackett had got the better of Seatter on the left, Glenfield doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute. Rood rampaged down the right, and made the most of Therese Saito's lunging challenge, skipping round the fullback before picking out Hoyle with a cross which the midfielder controlled neatly before setting up Wilkinson, who, from ten yards, steered the ball beyond Cox's despairing dive - 2-0. Lynn-Avon sought a swift riposte, and should have been afforded the chance to do so from the penalty spot. Straight from the resumption, Dana Humby caught Jackie Pretswell in possession and sent Hearn hurtling through Rovers rearguard with a delicious pass. The striker knocked the ball past the advancing figure of Yates, whose reaction resulted in goalkeeper and goal-hunter going to ground in a tangle of arms and legs, the striker having been impeded in her pursuit of the ball. Incredibly, referee Renee Silvester, who made a handful of eyebrow-raising decisions during the match, ruled a defensive free-kick was in order, deeming that Hearn had fouled the goalkeeper when, if anything, Yates had committed a professional foul in a goalscoring situation. Little wonder the striker was apoplectic at this outcome, and when she committed a foul while tussling for the ball with Rebecca O'Neill on the edge of Glenfield's penalty area a minute later, her frustration boiled over. Cue a yellow card, Hearn's second in as many matches. The game was in the balance at this point, as was to be expected given Lynn-Avon's loathing of defeat. They came desperately close to reducing the deficit in the 33rd minute when Saito picked out Campbell, whose turn and twenty-five yard piledriver completely flummoxed the out-of-position Yates. It was a rather relieved goalkeeper who watched the ball crash to safety off her left-hand upright. That was the cue for Glenfield to up the ante again, and they were aided in their cause eight minutes before half-time by a stray pass from Vicki Phipps. Wilkinson pounced on the loose ball and powered downfield, only to see the advancing figure of Cox parry her shot at close quarters, the retreating figure of Humbu ultimately averting the danger. Two minutes later, Wilkinson put Melissa Ray under all sorts of pressure, forcing the defender to under-hit a back-pass. Pretswell pounced, and picked out Hackett in acres of space with a goal begging to be scored. The striker's finish was, quite frankly, awful in the circumstances - high, wide and anything but handsome! She attempted to make amends two minutes later, after taking possession of a ball over which Pretswell and Kath Doubleday had duelled. Hackett this time hit the target, only to be denied by a fine

save by Cox, who surpassed the standard of that  stop seconds later with a stunning denial of Pretswell's unchallenged header, the striker having been picked out by a sumptuously flighted cross from Rebecca Sowden. Cox then tipped another Pretswell effort round the post in the 43rd minute - Katie Bowen engineered this opportunity - before the half came to a close with chances at both ends in a thirty second spell. Yates grabbed Campbell's twenty-five yard free-kick and promptly threw the ball out to Hoyle, who sent Wilkinson galloping down the left at pace. Cox careered off her line to save at the striker's feet. The second half was just 42 seconds old when Glenfield went close to building on their half-time lead. Priscilla Duncan - calmness personified in a central defensive role - linked with Sowden and Rood, who sent Pretswell through the inside right channel. Wilkinson had anticipated the same pass from her fellow former North Force front-runner, but the NPWL's two-time Top Goalscorer took charge and squared the ball into Rood's stride, the speedster blazing over from twelve yards. Three minutes later, Wilkinson and Hackett contrived to squander a gilt-edged chance on the far post as both failed to capitalise on Pretswell's cross, while after Campbell had unleashed another twenty-five yarder narrowly past Yates' post - she got the better of O'Neill before letting fly, Hoyle was denied a goal against her old club by the offside flag. Lynn-Avon weren't dying quietly, and in the 57th minute, came agonisingly close to reducing the deficit. Ridsdale picked out Campbell with a gorgeous angled pass, and the teenager promptly worked an opening with Doubleday, whose angled cross found Hearn rising between Yates, O'Neill and Duncan to direct a header inches past the post. What was to prove a key moment in the game was the departure from the fray, due to injury, of Humby on the hour. The loss of her experience aided Lynn-Avon's cause not one whit, and Rovers were quick to exploit the gaps in a defence in which the courageous Ray had already been working overtime. Rood's smart off-the-ball running was rewarded by Wilkinson's pass in the 61st minute, the speedster racing clear before fizzing a low cross beyond Cox. Ray was on hand to clear off the line, but straight back to Rood, who tried again. This time Doubleday averted the danger, but only as far as Bowen, whose deft chip was grabbed under the bar by Cox. Rood and Wilkinson worked another opening in the 65th minute which culminated in the former firing wide, after which substitute Caitlin Smallfield was introduced to the mix, to telling effect. Within two minutes, she scored with her first touch. Fellow substitute Sarah Gibbs dinked the ball into Sowden, who threaded the ball through Lynn-Avon's rearguard for Wilkinson to bear down on goal. The striker squared to her new front-running partner, leaving Cox completely wrong-footed in the process - 3-0. Cue a veritable avalanche of goals. Twenty minutes from time, Sowden picked out Hackett's well-timed run with an invitation to score which the striker greedily accepted upon rounding Cox. After Wilkinson had blazed over from six yards - scant reward for the fine combination play of Duncan, Bowen and Sowden down the right, the first half's lone markswoman made amends in the 74th minute by completing her hat-trick. Duncan picked out Bowen once more, and the Young Ferns starlet clipped a delightfully weighted cross onto the head of Wilkinson. She guided the ball beyond the diving figure of Cox and into the far corner of the net - 5-0. Sixty seconds later, Rood was on the rampage once more, scampering forward before rewarding Wilkinson's intelligent off-the-ball running. The striker's driven low cross zoomed across the face of goal and just beyond the lunging figure of Rood, but perfectly into the stride of the incoming Hackett, who gleefully swept home goal number six. Glenfield were queuing up to score now, such was their dominance. But only one attempt in the next ten minutes troubled Cox, that a brave save at the feet of Wilkinson in the 82nd minute, after Smallfield had sent the striker through on goal with just the 'keeper to beat. Wilkinson was to have her revenge four minutes from time. Saito found herself under terrific pressure from Rood near half-way, and when she turned to play the ball towards Cox, directed her pass right into the stride of the hat-trick heroine. Wilkinson took the ball on before completing the scoring in style - the 'keeper chipped magnificently, the champions crushed mercilessly. 7-0 - seventh heaven for Glenfield, and a first-ever win over Lynn-Avon after sixteen successive league and cup defeats since the North Harbour club's return to the Premier Women's League scene in 2003. Lynn-Avon:     Cox; Seatter, Humby (Wimbrow, 59), Ray, Saito; Campbell, Ridsdale, Phipps, Drummond (Gage, 59); Hearn (booked, 25), Doubleday (booked, 72) Glenfield:     Yates; Bowen, Duncan, O'Neill, Bresnahan (Gibbs, 51); Rood, Sowden (Porteous, 85), Hoyle, Hackett; Wilkinson, Pretswell (booked, 59) (Smallfield, 66) Referee:     Renee Silvester