It was a proper hat-trick as well, uninterrupted by another scorer as Sophie Gifford weaved her magic on the right wing to bemuse and baffle Margate 6 days before the men try to do the same in the Emirates FA Cup.

It ensured progress in the Kent FA Women’s Cup and due to the peculiar way the draw has been made propels Herne Bay Ladies directly into the quarter-finals, the draw for which is awaited.

Lauren Harris started the ball rolling when her seventh minute shot looped up over the ‘keeper’s head. Jemma Barton added a second powering home Maddy Chapman’s rightwing corner in the fourteenth and not 60 seconds letter Sophie Gifford scored her first ramming home from the edge of the six yard box.

Kate Foster’s diagonal pass in the twenty fourth minute provided Gifford with a simple roll past the the ‘keeper nine minutes later and this game was as good as over. But Bay were having none of that.

After the break, Gifford completed her hat-trick with just four second half minutes played and now Bay were rampant. Sixty seconds later, the luckless Gate ‘keeper fumbled Kate Foster’s shot into her own net and Chloe Woolaway showed perserverance on the left to net with seventeen minutes left.

Almost immediately Margate spoiled Sarah Cooper’s hopes of a clean sheet with what was a consolation goal. Bay’s afternoon was complete with two minutes to go when Maddy Chapman squeezed the ball home off the left hand upright.

This was a clinical, complete performance, the quality of the passing play a joy to see. One moments lapse of concentration provided the only point to learn from.

Herne Bay Ladies: Sarah Cooper, Jade Childs, Charley Kerry, Saraya Phillips, Kayleigh Mount, Sophie Gifford, Kate Foster, Jemma Barton, Chloe Woolaway, Lauren Harris, Maddy Chapman.

Subs: Asmaa Hatim, Chloe Dodds

Margate (0) 1

Herne Bay Ladies (4) 8
Lauren Harris 7
Jemma Barton 14
Sophie Gifford 15, 24, 49
Kate Foster 50
Chloe Woolaway 73
Maddy Chapman 88

Kent FA Women’s Cup – Preliminary Round
at St Luke’s