Six-hit Cliftonville make an emphatic start to their VBET League Cup defence… opening round wins also for nine-goal Glens, 4-1 Blues and 1-0 Crues… round-up and picture gallery

Caitlin McGuinness Cliftonville goal celebration

Linfield goal celebration

THE VBET Women’s League Cup kicked off with plenty of goals to savour amid victories for holders Cliftonville Ladies, Glentoran Women, Linfield Women and Crusaders Strikers.

The Reds got their defence off to a stylish start with a 6-0 defeat of Derry City Women at Solitude.

Caitlin McGuinness opened the scoring on 25 minutes from close range after Marissa Callaghan had provided the telling cross.

McGuinness repaid the favour a few minutes later for Callaghan to fire the bottom corner from just inside the area.

Callaghan then doubled her tally early in the second half from the spot before, on 55 minutes Katie Markey added a fourth with a cool finish into the corner from eight yards.

McGuinness bagged her second of the evening with around five minutes remaining after being played through by sister Kirsty before, deep into added time, grabbing her hat-trick from just outside the six yard box.

Also in Group A, it was a winning start for Linfield Women as they travelled to defeat Lisburn Ladies 4-1 at the Bluebell Stadium.

Cora Chambers fired the Blues in front inside the opening five minutes with a low driven finish past keeper Zara Maguire.

Chambers then doubled her tally for the evening midway through the first half before, a couple of minutes from the break, Eve Reilly knocked home number three after pouncing on a loose pass.

Keri Loughrey added to Linfield’s tally a few minutes into the second half after racing in on goal to get her name on the scoresheet on her debut for the club.

Jessica Hall found the net with three minutes remaining as the home side bagged a late consolation.

Glentoran Women got the new season off to a storming start with a 9-2 Group B defeat of Larne Women at Inver Park.

Emily Wilson opened the scoring for the Glens as early as the fifth minutes, with new signing Mia Moore catching the home defence by surprise just 60 seconds after that to double the visitors’ lead.

Rachel Rogan added a third soon after, with Demi Vance hitting another within a few minutes.

The brisk start to the game continued moments later when Ella Parker got on the end ball to chip keeper Ashleigh McKinnon to pull one back for Larne.

However another goal apiece from both Moore and Rogan saw the Glens go in at the break with a handsome advantage.

Wilson also hit her second of the evening eight minutes into the second half, but Hollie Johnston then responded with Larne’s second.

Substitute Sophie McKnight added to Glentoran’s tally on the hour before Wilson completed the scoring with her hat-trick goal on 68 minutes.

Meanwhile, at Seaview, Rebecca Mann knocked home the only goal of the game as Crusaders Strikers got the better of last season’s runners-up Lisburn Rangers.

Mann, just a few days after celebrating her 19th birthday, grabbed what proved to be the winner with just under half-an-hour on the clock.