Fran Kirby grabbed four goals as Reading beat Yeovil Town 4-2 in their opening game of the FA Women’s Super League 2 season.
Kirby capitalised on confusion in the Yeovil defence to slot home Reading’s first after just six minutes.
But the visitors were pegged back on level terms when Tash Knapman converted Helen Bleazard’s cross to score her first goal for Yeovil.
Thursday's FA WSL 2 results
Oxford United 1-0 Watford Ladies
Yeovil Town Ladies 2-4 Reading Women
Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-0 Durham Women
Then the in-form Kirby scored two goals in two minutes to put Reading back in front and establish a comfortable lead heading into half-time.
The striker’s second goal of the match came on 44 minutes when she fired home a powerful shot past a helpless Charlotte Haynes in the Yeovil goal.
And the England international showed real composure to seal her hat-trick on the stroke of half-time when she sent low shot into the corner of the goal.
But Yeovil’s Corinne Yorston had a chance to pull one back on her league debut for the Lady Glovers after Annie Heatherson was brought down by Reading goalkeeper Grace Moloney.
And Yorston made no mistake, converting the penalty to make it 3-2 with just under 15 minutes to play.
But Kirby scored a fourth in injury time to complete Reading's victory.
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk celebrates her strike for Doncaster
In Yorkshire, Doncaster Rovers Belles made a statement of intent to the rest of FA Women’s Super League 2 as they eased to a 3-0 victory over Durham Women.
The Belles missed out on promotion by just two points last year, with Sunderland taking the only route to the top flight – and new boss Glen Harris will be hoping to be one of the two teams to go up this campaign.
The three goals were Donny’s reward for their greater incision in the second half, following a first 45 that saw the Wildcats defence limit them to half chances.
In fact, it was the visitors who first went close to breaking the deadlock, with Rachel Lee curling just wide with a 20-yard effort on 20 minutes.
But Courtney Sweetman-Kirk broke the deadlock on 53 minutes, finding the top corner from close range after stealing past Emily Scott.
Bethany England doubled the lead seven minutes later, meeting the excellent Sophie Barker’s lofted through ball with a lob over onrushing keeper Helen Alderson.
Sue Smith completed the scoring 13 minutes from time with a curling effort.
The score might still have been more flattering to the hosts, with Barker and Kasia Lipka both rattling the crossbar and England seeing her header tipped over.
Sahara Osbourne-Picketts celebrates after scoring the only goal of the night for Oxford against Watford
In the night's other game Oxford United got their new FA Women’s Super League 2 season off to a flyer as a free-kick by captain Sahara Osborne-Ricketts gave them a 1-0 win over Watford Ladies.
It took United six games to get their first victory last season but they didn’t have to wait as long this year after an energetic performance in their opening match.
Oxford took the lead after 20 minutes when Osborne-Ricketts struck a low free kick that Watford goalkeeper Shayla Burgess couldn't reach as the ball nestled in the bottom corner.
Gemma Simmonds thought she had doubled the hosts' lead when she stabbed the ball into the net after being played in by Kayleigh Hines but her effort was ruled out for offside.
Chloe Gunn then made an important clearance ahead of Holly Pickett from Simmonds' dangerous ball across as Oxford deservedly went into half-time ahead.
Simmonds continued to look lively after the break as she had a volley saved by Burgess before Watford's Kate Natkiel sent a speculative long-range effort over the bar.
The Golden Girls' best chance to equalise came after an hour when Natkiel ran on to Gunn's long ball and had her shot blocked by onrushing Oxford goalkeeper Demi Lambourne.
