Shaw hat-trick leads Man City Cup romp

LONDON, England (CMC):

Dazzling Reggae Girl Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw enjoyed an early birthday present as she led the Jamaica goal parade in England on Sunday with a hat-trick to steer Manchester City to a 7-0 thrashing of Sheffield United.

Player-of-the-match Shaw, who turns 26 on Tuesday, opened the scoring in the Women’s FA Cup fourth-round contest, tapping into an empty net from close range after a pass from Chloe Kelly in the 16th minute, and added two more goals after the break to take her goal tally for the season in all competitions to 16 from as many matches.

She doubled her tally on 51 minutes, rolling her marker on the edge of the box from Alex Greenwood’s pass before wrong-footing goalkeeper Nina Wilson with a clinical low effort.

Shaw then completed her treble three minutes from time, tapping in after being teed up by Kelly.

City’s other goals came from Julie Blakstad, who bagged a brace, Kelly and Deyna Castellanos.

Yesterday’s victory, in which Gareth Taylor’s side were at their attacking best at the Academy Stadium, followed City’s 6-0 League Cup win over Bristol City in midweek, when Shaw was also on the scoresheet, and ensured City’s FA Cup campaign got off to the perfect start ahead of Monday evening’s fifth-round draw.

“Shaw’s clinical eye for goal was complemented by brilliant link-up play and a steely tenacity when out of possession,” Taylor said on the club website.

Drew Spence and Shania Hayles, two of Shaw’s Reggae Girlz teammates also plying their trade in Britain, picked up a goal apiece to lead Tottenham Hotspur and Bristol City to other big wins.

Spence, a 30-year-old midfielder, scored Spurs’ third from close range on 48 minutes as they walloped Lion City Lionesses 5-0.

Hayles, 23, scored deep into first-half stoppage time with a close-range header to break the deadlock before Bristol City went on to beat Oxford United 4-0.