Villa handed six of the best by headmistress Hayes and her star pupils
By Paul Lagan at Bescot Stadium
Aston Villa 0 v Chelsea 6
4,086
Goals win games they say, well Chelsea scored enough to win several games as they thrashed winless Aston Villa in their own backyard 6-0 this afternoon.
The Blues were imperious in their attacking play with Fran Kirby looking sharper than she has done in quite a while.
She was never going to last the 90 minutes as she gains match fitness after her long lay off, but the sight of her limping off at half-time, favouring her left ankle will have sent shudders down the spine of the watching medical staff and fans watching from the stand.
She lasted only a few minutes of the second half, brought off when the game was effectively over as a contest.
Her striking partner Mia Fishel looked out of sorts and well off the pace.
But she got some vital minutes under her belt before she too was replaced by local hero Aggie Beever-Jones – who promptly scored.
The Blues go top of the league for now, three points ahead of Manchester City having played a game more.
Once again it was a slow start by the Blues, allowing Villa to get close within a couple of minutes – Rachel Daly just failing to connect to a deep left wing cross by Kirsty Hanson.
But Johanna Rytting Kaneryd should have put the visitors 1-0 up on six mi jutes after excellent set-up play by Fran Kirby – but she shot straight at Daphne van Domselaar the ball as cleared for a corner.
Kirby was unlucky not to open the core three minutes later when a quick break saw the England attacker strike the Villa cross bar with a curling left-footer from just inside the penalty area.
Daly flashed another ball from the left over the Chelsea crossbar as the England striker looked the most potent threat to the west Londoners on 17 minutes.
The breakthrough came on 21 minutes when Jessie Fleming sent in an angle pass to the Villa far post, Mia Fishel saw her goal-bound header cleared off the line, but the ball fell to the left boot of skipper Millie Bright who thumped home the volley.
Kirby then forced a smart save from Van Domselaar.
But seconds later she was on the spot, similar to Bright and had two chances to drill home the ball – the first was blocked the second ended up in the back of the net to put the Blues 2-0 on 27 minutes.
Van Domselaar and Kirby were having a private battle as to who would come out on top. The stopper could be pleased with four goal-bound efforts she denied the striker.
There were no changes by the Blues at half-time.
Kirby was clattered just before the break on her ankle and she struggled in the early part of the second half.
The game was secured on 56 minutes when a Londesborough ball saw Rytting Kaneryd break free , run to the edge of the box and slot home number three.
Kirby was duly substituted along with misfiring Mia Fishel.
On came Ashley Lawrence and Aggie Beever-Jones.
Number four was simplicity itself. Erin Cuthbert won the ball in the middle of the park, raced forward, cut a smart left-footer to Fleming, who cut the ball back from the right byline, and in-running Lawrence with her third touch tucked home from close range on 64 minutes.
The fifth was delight for Carshalton-born Beever-Jones, who raced clear on the left, on 66 minutes before sliding the ball past a hapless Van Domselaar.
It suddenly went from a strong victory to a degree of pity to be heaped on the home side as Niamh Charles smashed home number six on 74 minutes.
The final minutes including the six added ones were a case of Villa holding their line as securely as they could and the Blues seeing out the game without incurring any additional injuries.
But were successful.
Oh, yeah, the club announced after the game she is leaving Chelsea at he end of the season.
Teams: Berger, Fishel, Bright, Nusken, Kirby, Perisset, Fleming, Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Cuthbert
Subs, Musovic, Nouwen, Ingle, Lawrence, Mjelde, Kerr, Buchanan, Cankovic, Beever-Jones
Villa, Van Dollarise, Mayling, Patten, Staniforth, Lehmann, Nobbs, Daly, Turner, Blindkilde Brown, Hanson, Pacheco
Subs: Leat, Corsie, McLoughlin, Salmon, Mullett, Leon
