Jenna Slattery opened the scoring in the first ten minutes, neatly slotting the ball into the corner before Saorise Noonan found Watford an equaliser.

In the second half, Jenna Dear scored with power before super subs Princess Ademiluyi and Georgia Timms found the net to secure a convincing win.

Team news

The starting eleven looked a little different this week, with Jorja Fox stepping into centre-back alongside Paige Peake.

Bethan Roe took the armband, whilst Rosella Ayane led the attack as a true striker.

Town XI: Negri (GK), Roe (C), Peake, Fox, Lawton, Dear, Cavanagh, McGowan (Timms, 69), Slattery (Ademiluyi, 69), McAteer (Hornby, 69), Ayane (Adams, 75).

Watford XI: Williams (GK), Gray, Greenwood, Chandler (C) (Noble, 51), Skyers (Bailey, 62), Clancy, Teisar, Haines (Jones, 62), Filbey (Wilson, 62), Paul, Noonan (Poole, 69).

A slower first half

The match appeared to start with an ounce of trepidation and despite forcing Watford into an early save, Town took time to settle into the game.

Slattery broke through in the ninth minute but the Blues struggled to hold possession and Watford equalised only four minutes later.

The strike came from a set piece - a fierce header from Noonan, who recently joined the Hornets from Celtic.

The first half finished 1-1, illustrating the even battle.

Unfortunate injuries

Early into the second half, Watford captain Meg Chandler was forced off after an injury, leaving the Golden Girls without their usual leadership.

Town seemed to take full advantage of the change in defence and Dear found the net only moments later.

The ball fell to her in the centre of the box, and Dear fired it straight into the top of the goal.

Then Mary McAteer was knocked over in the box and although she tried to carry on and power through, a foul brought her to the ground again, ending her game early.

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Super subs

With just over 20 minutes left on the clock, Town made a triple substitution, bringing on a familiar front line.

Timms, Ademiluyi and Hornby replaced Slattery, McAteer and McGowan. The attacking reinforcements proved powerful.

After only four minutes on the field, Princess had her chance. Ayane made a charge down the wing and found the striker, who darted round the tight defence and shot well from the centre of the box to make it 3-1.

The Tractor Girls' final goal came from Timms in added time, who took her chance from outside the box, hitting the bottom corner of the net.

The Town subs made a huge impact in the game and changed the trajectory of the match. They injected energy through the press and caused no end of problems for the tiring Watford back line.

A long-awaited debut

Eilidh Adams made her Town debut from the bench during the second half, having been confined to the sidelines as a result of a long-term injury.

She replaced Ayane with a standing ovation from her teammates and supporters, thrilled to see her return to the field.

Adams made an instant impression, creating a chance almost immediately which resulted in a corner for Town.

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Negri hits fifty

Goalkeeper Natalia Negri hit her 50th appearance for Town. Post-match, she was presented with a special shirt to mark the achievement. Negri joined Town in 2024 and has shown excellence throughout her time here so far. Here's to many more!

Next up for the Tractor Girls is back in WSL 2 action as they host Bristol City at the JobServe Community Stadium in Colchester next Sunday at 2pm.