Hampstead seal survival with 5-1 drubbing 06/04/2009 By Claire Jones Hampstead Women's Football Club secured their place in the Greater London Second Division North in emphatic style on the final day of the season after they thrashed mid-table Garston Reserves 5-1 away. Hampstead started the game at the foot of the table but, with only one point separating them from Joybabe, a win coupled with a loss or draw for their nearest rivals would be enough to keep them up. The team made the trip to Garston's Bushey ground on a fine spring Sunday. Continuing a bout of fine recent form, Hampstead dominated from the kick off. Within the first five minutes the side had won three corners, with the pace of wingers Anjana Gadgil and Val Toro, and incisive passing from Meroula Lazarou, Rhi Gladman and Emma Wragg troubling the Garston back four. The first goal came after 10 minutes when Rhi Gladman tucked in a lay-off by Val Toro. Ellie Bard gave a strong captain's performance in the holding role, blocking and passing well to keep the pressure on the home team. Soon it was 2-0. Meroula Lazarou managed to evade a clumsy challenge and find Gladman whose clinical, inch-perfect pass to Toro allowed Hampstead’s skillful number 17 to nutmeg the goalkeeper. Hampstead kept up the pressure. Anjana Gadgil gave Niamh Stewart a torrid time, with her pace and positioning leaving the Garston left back well beaten several times. Gadgil's efforts were rewarded with 18 minutes on the clock as she sidefooted the ball past the keeper to make it 3-0. A storming run from the halfway line in the 20th minute created the fourth. Gadgil sprinted past two and dragged the ball across the keeper from inside the 18-yard box. The shot looked as though it may have been heading wide but Toro was there to make sure, knocking in from a yard out. The fifth, a fine goal which saw player-of-the-match Meroula Lazarou skip past the home defence after a neat pass from Rhi Gladman before rounding the keeper, came on 25. With the victory sealed before the break, Hampstead were lacklustre in the second half. Some fine individual touches from Lazarou, Emma Wragge and Emily Brown could do little to cloak an anti-climactic, poor second 45 minutes. A crunching tackle on Toro in the first half led to substitution shortly after the break, with Dani Bassin replacing her. Wragge also came off in the 80th minute for Tal Ben-Harosh. Garston snatched a consolation goal with almost the last kick of the ball after a mazy run from Emma Trill culminated in a chip into the Hampstead net. But the goal was merely a footnote in what will ultimately be remembered as a fine day in the history of Hampstead Women's Football Club. "A splendid team performance today and a joy to watch," said John Baker, Hampstead’s manager. "Some of our passing moves were simply sensational. To be 5-0 up after 25 minutes is quite a feat and speaks for itself. I'm really proud not only of the quality of the football the girls are playing, but of the phenomenal team spirit here at the club. It's a great place to be at the moment." The team faced a tense wait after the final whistle for the Joybabe score. News of their rival's 4-0 loss came in the evening, with the players heading out for celebration drinks in Belsize Park. "It has been a disappointing season overall. These girls are good enough to be fighting for promotion, rather than survival. But as the season rolled on and we were punished for a lack of clinical finishing, it became apparent that the most important thing was keeping this club in the league,” said Baker. "Credit to the girls, they've knuckled down and achieved what most thought seemed impossible. Now we plan to take it all the way to the cup final and turn this season into the success story that everyone at the club deserves."