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Jamie-Lee Napier punched in a 17-minute hattrick to fire London City Lionesses to a club record 9-0 win over Coventry United on the final day of the Barclays Women’s Championship season.
Napier burst onto the scene with three early strikes, breaking the deadlock after seven minutes by deflecting a Karin Muya cross into the bottom corner.
The Scotland international doubled down just two minutes later, curling a right-footed effort into the top corner from outside the box.
Napier completed her hattrick in the 17th minute, placing the ball beyond the reach of Eleanor Heeps with a smart finish.
“I’m really happy that we finished the season with a win and a clean sheet,” said SETL Player of the Match Napier.
“We just had fun out there today, with lots of different goal scorers. It’s always good to score early on, it was nice for me to get the first goal and to follow through with my hattrick. I’m buzzing with that.”
The Lionesses dictated the tempo from whistle-to-whistle to secure a club record 9-0 win.
Amy Rodgers, Harley Bennett, Atlanta Primus, Sarah Ewens (brace), and Shanade Hopcroft added their names to the scoresheet after Napier, with debutant goalkeeper Hermione Cull earning the first clean sheet of her senior career at the other end of the field.
“If there is a way you wanted to finish the season, that performance is it,” said interim head coach Nikita Runnacles. “It was such a professional performance. This week, we spoke about how we wanted to enjoy this week together because so much can change over the course of a summer in football.
“It was really important for us to play and work together to ensure that we finished on a high – and that performance is an example of what we do best.”
The Lionesses finish the season three points behind eventual champions Bristol City, with plenty to look forward to ahead of next term.
Cull’s clean sheet performance is just one example, as London City prepares for life without San Diego Wave-bound Shae Yanez.
“[Hermione] has been with us for a year and stepped in with a really good performance,” Runnacles said of the league debutant. “She is a high-potential keeper who made two really important saves today.”
Added Napier: “I’m buzzing for her. She’s worked really hard and pushed Shae a lot this season. I’m really happy to see her secure the clean sheet today – she really deserves it and I’m so proud of her.”
The Pride, thank you for your incredible support this season. That win was for you.
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