Lincoln City Women started 2020 with a bang, beating Leafield Athletic 6-2 at home.
After a poor first half, the Imps dominated the final thirty minutes and climbed to third place in the league. Abbie Murrell (24) ensured the Imps went into halftime with a 1-1 draw. Murrell secured a hat trick (47, 81) and McHamilton (72) and Hunt (78) added to the scoresheet. An own goal made the final score 6-2.
Manager, Richard Cooper, made three changes from the starting line up from the last game before Christmas. Sophie Crosby, Heather Pettit and Emily Atkinson started in place of Eden Pedersen, Tia Johnson, and the injured Olivia Leslie.
The game got off to a slow start, with both teams failing to string together passes near goal. Murrell broke the stalemate in the 24th minute. Atkinson made a sharp run down the left and crossed to Murrell.
Atkinson looked to score a goal of her own shortly after but was denied by the post. Ten minutes later, Leafield levelled the score after a corner kick to finish the first half 1-1.
The second half got off to a better start for the Imps. Two minutes in, Murrell scored a second with a goal much like her first.
Lincoln added to their lead when a low cross from Murrell hit a Leafield defender and rebounded into the back of the net.
On her first team debut, McHamilton added to the scoresheet, picking up the ball on the edge of the area and calmly slotting it into the bottom corner of the net.
In the 78th minute, a powerful cross from Crosby was on the brink of crossing the goal line as Amy Kay and Hunt endeavored to knock it in. Hunt looked to get the final touch.
Murrell completed the scoring for the Imps in the 81st minute.
The visitors pulled one back just before the final whistle but it was too little, too late.