Football: Claudelands best a spirited but depleted Wanderers side

Stella Neems scored a hat-trick to guide Claudelands to a win over Hamilton Wanderers. Photo / Warren Jones

Claudelands Rovers W-League side claimed another win in their push for promotion, after a spirited performance from a depleted Hamilton Wanderers team.

Despite the 6-0 scoreline, Wanderers held off Claudelands well in the opening 30 minutes of the first half, looking the better team.

Georgia Candy had returned to her old position in between the Hamilton Wanderers post, while Iona Love took early control of the game with creative distribution to pressure the Claudelands defence.

Wanderers resolve did not last forever, with Stacey Palmer breaking the deadlock after creative play from Rhiannon Jones and Rachel Porteous.

The goals then started to flow for Claudelands, with their second a quick three pass counter attack.

Stacey Palmer scored the other hat-trick of the match against Wanderers. Photo / Warren Jones

Wanderers forced the ball back to Claudelands keeper Amberley Hollis who played the ball into Porteous. She found Paige McCloskey who put through a pin-point pass to Stella Neems who scored her first of the match, despite the best efforts of Georgia Candy.

The third goal was much a replica of the second, with Hollis again finding her midfield, with Porteous playing the through ball this time to Neems, who lifted the ball over Candy to score her second.

Wanderers was not rolling over, and for the rest of the first half put in a strong defensive performance to stem the goal flow.

Wanderers' Nina MacKay was making useful runs off the ball but couldn't find a breakthrough herself.

In the second half Claudelands took control of the game thanks to more strong play from Claudelands midfields.

Porteous and McCloskey were using the pace of the attacking trio to spring balls over and through the Wanderers' defence to allow Stacey Palmer to score two more to complete her hat-trick.

Not to be outdone, Stella Neems chested in her third of the match after a terrific Emily Woollaston delivery to give Claudelands the 6-0 win.

The WaiBOP W-League will extend to a third round after the withdrawal of Tauranga Blue Rovers, with Hamilton Wanderers also set to exit from the league after the completion of the second round.

The blues also compete in the LottoNRFL Womens premier league which also requires a reserve team.