A Beth Wharton hat-trick and strikes from Alisha Dejonge and Ray Swallow earned our Women’s First Team three points on the road away at Buxton yesterday afternoon.

Ben Challen made four changes to the side that beat Grimsby Borough last time out, with Chloe Thorpe returning to the side and finding herself in between the sticks.

Dejonge and Pariss Welsh also returned to the starting XI and Sophie Gray returned from a short period on the sidelines in defence.

A back four of Gray, Olivia Kershaw, Leah Wray and Hermione Clapham sat in front of Thorpe in net, with captain Dani Brighton and Welsh operating in midfield.

Dejonge and Lily Jacklin took their positions on the wings, with Laura Flecknor in the number ten position behind Wharton.

The first chance of the tie fell for the hosts inside five minutes, but the ball was over the bar.

The Mariners then began to put the pressure on, with chances falling for Clapham, Dejonge and Jacklin all within the first ten minutes.

The pressure paid off when the deadlock was broken by Wharton. A defence-splitting pass from Welsh saw the number nine in on goal and she made no mistake to give the visitors an early lead.

Town continued to create chances in front of the Buxton goal and Wharton got her brace just before the half hour mark. Dejonge managed to intercept a short pass out from the Buxton defence and side the ball through to Wharton. The striker wrong-footed the keeper and slotted into an empty net.

Dejonge made it three late in the first-half, meeting a delicious delivery from a Kershaw corner to nod home and give the Mariners the advantage at the break.

A quiet opening to the second-half saw the Mariners put in plenty of corners, but none that troubled the Buxton defence.

Buxton closed the gap to two goals with 20 minutes to go, before Wharton resorted the three-goal cushion with her third of the afternoon.

Some great interplay in and around the area saw Dejonge play in the striker, who was brave to meet the ball ahead of the keeper and dink it into the back of the net.

Buxton scored a second on the 90-minute mark, but the final goal of the game came from a black and white shirt in Ray Swallow.

An in-swinging ball from Wharton was met by the number 17 to poke home for our fifth of the game and the final action of the afternoon.

Next up for the Mariners is a trip to Chesterfield on Sunday the 2nd March (2pm KO).

Town: Thorpe, Wray, Brighton, Kershaw, Flecknor, Wharton, Dejonge, Jacklin, Gray, Welsh, Clapham

Subs: Swallow, Green