Harpenden Town bounce back with 4-0 win at Rothamsted Park

Goals from Belle Shannon, Sophia Amanor, Erin Shacklock and Jamie Curtian secured a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-player Hutton, helping Harpenden bounce back in style after a heavy defeat at Stevenage on Opening Day.

The turning point came early when Sophia Amanor was played through on goal and brought down by the Hutton goalkeeper, who was shown a red card. The visitors were forced to play with 10 for the remaining 80 minutes.

Harpenden captain Belle Shannon nearly opened the scoring from a free-kick, but her effort was saved by the legs of Hutton’s makeshift keeper. She didn’t have to wait long, though—after excellent hold-up play from Amanor, Shannon unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner to give Harpenden a 1-0 lead at the break.

The Harps continued to probe after the restart but found Hutton’s defence stubborn. With 20 minutes left, their persistence paid off when a corner was whipped into the box and Amanor rose highest to head home, doubling the advantage.

Another set piece soon led to Harpenden’s third. Amana Oguntuga met a cross at the back post, and her effort deflected off Erin Shacklock into the net.

The scoring was rounded off late on. Amanor saw her chance for a brace denied, but Jamie Curtian reacted quickest to slot in the rebound and seal a 4-0 win.

Speaking after the game, manager Jordan Williams praised his side’s set-piece threat and their determination to break down Hutton.

“We pride ourselves on being strong in both boxes. Especially as a new team, we need to be solid in both areas. We found the answers today, so the girls deserve credit.”

Williams also stressed there is still work to do.

“It’s still very early in the season. We absolutely need to improve and become sharper. The staff will have many sleepless nights finding solutions, but we believe we’ll get it right.”