MAGIC EIGHT: Kayley Lane netted a hat-trick as Argyle showed their class on Friday night. (c) MiraclePR

FA Women’s Premier League South West Division side Plymouth Argyle Ladies lifted the Westward Developments Women’s Senior Cup on Friday evening, beating SWWFL Premier side Torquay United Ladies 8-0, Kayley Lane and Natasha Knapman with hat-tricks apiece.

Argyle started the first half in attacking mood and though Torquay defended well in patches, an 11th minute foul on Zoe Cunningham brought Plymouth an early chance to take the lead. Captain Katie Middleton struck her penalty just to the right of Beth Marshall to open the scoring.

Although Torquay were occasionally threatening with set pieces, Argyle nearly went two up in the 19th minute when Becky Dandridge toed a great Kayley Lane cross just wide. Two minutes later, Argyle went even closer, Adele Rogers clearing off the line. Cunningham, who terrorised the Gulls defence throughout the first period went down in the box again on the 23rd minute after a foul from Alex Sheppard who went into the book. Up stepped Middleton again and produced a carbon copy spot kick to double the margin.

Sarah Smith pushed forward on the half hour mark, looking for a way back but Argyle closed the door and, two minutes later were knocking at the other end again, Middleton wide with a header and Cunningham blasting a shot past the post shortly afterwards.

With 37 minutes on the clock, Argyle attacked again from the left. Marshall pulled off a great save from Cunningham but the ball fell to the feet of Lane who nudged it over the line for 3-0.

Torquay needed an early goal in the second half to have any hope of mounting a comeback but instead it was Argyle who roared out of the blocks, Cunningham battering her way through the Torquay defence. After she had eventually been dispossessed, Knapman, who had been well marshalled in the first half picked up the ball and fired it past Marshall with 48 minutes on the clock. Torquay lost their goalkeeper through injury on the hour mark, Naomi Binding taking her place between the sticks. The best goal of the game came on 69 minutes. The move was started by goalkeeper Sarah Prior and some great play from substitute Amber Pollock and Middleton ended with Lane rifling her shot across Binding and into the top left. Knapman thought she had scored goal number six three minutes later but her free header was chalked off for offside. Argyle’s high level of fitness saw them continue to press hard with Torquay doing well just to keep them at bay.

Their defence was breached again though, on 81 minutes, Darcey Hepworth’s ball nodded in by Knapman at the back post. With three players on a hat-trick it was no surprise to see Argyle continue to push forward. Lane wa the first to reach three goals, finishing off a whipped in cross from the right with four minutes remaining. A last minute corner led to a goalmouth scramble. Torquay cleared the ball off the line but Knapman returned it into the net for her 50th goal of the season.