IT only took 20 seconds for the Lithgow Panthers to get a goal past Souths at the Cooke Hockey Complex on Saturday and they didn’t stop there as the score ended up 5-1 in the women’s Premier League Hockey meeting.

An Abby Wilson hat-trick within the space of just 25 minutes put Panthers up 3-0 at half-time and, despite an improved Souths squad taking the field for the second half, the Bathurst side couldn’t recover.

What was an opportunity to go as high as second place on the ladder was swept away from Souths, who now remain in fourth.

Wilson poked a shot home from close range as most spectators were just getting comfortable and it became a sign of things to come.

The Lithgow striker made it two within five minutes when she received the ball right in front of goalkeeper Kate Brown, spun off her and helped the ball into the corner.

Souths lifted in response and the possession started to even out.

At 20 minutes in, Souths had their first chance to score when a Madison Boyce flick pass got to Ashleigh Corby in the circle, but the striker couldn’t bring it under control.

Instead of the margin coming back to one, Wilson put it out to three just five minutes later with a diving reverse stick effort.

Corby got Bathurst’s only goal of the game when she got hold of an overhead pass from Ali Stanford and chipped it over goalkeeper Jess Luchetti. Then with two minutes to half-time Corby just put wide a shot that would have gone down as one of the team goals of the season. Souths got the ball into the Panthers circle with some fluid passing off at least six sticks before Corby’s diving effort went right of the post.

Panthers came out swinging in the second half and had a penalty corner blocked before another shot went high of the crossbar. Eventually Roxanne Van Veen capitalised on the pressure to put home an easy shot on the post, eight minutes in.

Van Veen had another easy finish 10 out from full-time after Wilson’s run down the left side of the field cut up Souths’ right side defence.

Souths coach Damien Carter says his team could have made some better defensive decisions to reduce the margin. 

“In marking we were giving them too much space. We were standing five yards behind them and they one touch pass and you’re in the middle of nowhere. We’ll be working a bit on marking for training on Tuesday,” he said.

“Positives are that we had some shots. It could have been 3-2 at half-time with that [Corby] ball just missing. It just showed how easy it is to break down a good defence. We managed to get that ball in and it missed by inches on the post.

“5-1 may have flattered them a bit but in saying that they pass the ball so well and create so many chances. We had some good shots in the second half. We have to hold our heads up.”

LITHGOW PANTHERS 5 (Abby Wilson 3, Roxanne Van Veen 2) defeated BATHURST SOUTHS 1 (Ashleigh Corby)