Cora Chambers nets hat-trick as Linfield start Women's Premiership campaign with convincing victory

In Ryan McConville’s first league game back as Blues boss, he watched on as his side scored six unanswered second-half goals after Chambers had opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time.

She rounded out her treble on the hour mark while Eve Reilly and Bernadette Ferreira both added braces and McConville was delighted to get off to a winning start.

"I’m very pleased,” he told the club’s media channel. “It’s always difficult when you start off last in a campaign because everybody is raring to go and when we seen the big kick-off last week with all the teams there’s a big hype about it and we were sat watching.

"I thought Lisburn were really well organised and hard to break down in the first-half and gave our girls something to think about, but going into the second-half we made a few tweaks at half-time and asked for a bit more. I thought they were fantastic.”

On the three goalscorers, McConville added: “When your forwards are scoring it’s a good sign. They work really hard in training and have done really well since they came in.

"They’ve been really professional in their work, travelling down the road and being really committed. Eve coming across from Lisburn Rangers...I was delighted to see her get the two goals.

"It’s the first game over the line in a long season. We entertain them next week in the All-Island Cup and if they play like they did in the first-half it’ll be a big challenge again.”

Elsewhere, Cliftonville had five different players on the scoresheet as they ran riot for the second consecutive game with Katie Markey, Danielle Maxwell, Marissa Callaghan, Kelsie Burrows and Carla Devine all chipping in during their success over Derry City Women.

They remain level on points with Lisburn Rangers, who have also made a flawless start to the 2024 season, after they defeated Larne 4-0 at Inver Park.

Meanwhile, Crusaders Strikers bounced back from a heavy opening weekend loss to Glentoran by beating Mid Ulster Ladies 5-1 with Jessica McGuinness netting an injury-time brace after Julie Nelson, Alison McMaster and Amy McGivern had netted.