Leaders Arsenal destroy Southampton

Marieanne Spacey: Celebrates another Arsenal goal

Rampant Arsenal maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Women's Premiership with a stunning 9-1 victory over Southampton Saints.

The south coast side could only watch as the Gunners tore them apart with yet another impressive display in which Angela Banks doubled her match ball collection for the season with a four goal haul.

Banks scored her fourth just five minutes into the second period, gratefully accepting the rebound after a Marieanne Spacey drive had been admirably blocked by Saints keeper Debbie Beer.

Welsh striker Jane Ludlow joined in the party on sixty minutes, benefitting from yet more good work from Spacey, who later got on the scoresheet with an unstoppable left-footed drive.

Further strikes from Sara Woolescroft and Faye White meant Saints were trailing 8-0 by the time their leading goalscorer Una Nwajei had made her mark with a late consolation.

Doncaster Belles did all they could to keep up the pressure at the top with a surprise 4-1 victory at home to Everton.

It was a match which saw a battle of the old girls, with Doncaster's England midfielders Karen Burke, Becky Easton and Amanda Barr coming up against their old side for the first time since summer moves.

But it was Doncaster who emerged with a comfortable victory.

Barr got the ball rolling on twenty minutes before Vicky Exley weighed in with a brace to send the home side into the interval with a safe lead.

Karen Walker added to their advantage on 57 minutes having rounded the keeper before slotting home Doncaster's fourth.

Substitute Sara Whewell scored Everton's only goal with twenty minutes remaining.

Charlton Atheletic notched up their first league victory of the season at London rivals Millwall Lionesses to move up to mid table.

Carmaine Walker struck twice as the reigning league champions secured a comfortable 4-0 win with Alexa Hunn and Suzanna Abbot completing the scoring for Athletic.

Tranmere followed up last weekend's League Cup win over Chelsea with an important 2-0 win over Sunderland.

Winger Sue Smith and striker Lynn Carter both hit the back of the net as Rovers turned around an unspectacular first half performance to totally dominate their shell-shocked opponents in the second 45.

In the AXA FA Women's League Cup, Liverpool secured a morale-boosting victory over Aston Villa.

 The Merseysiders put their poor league form behind them to beat the Northern Division side 3-2, with new sgining Nina Kuypers helping herself to two well-taken goals.

 Kuypers had put the Reds in front, but the first of two goals for Villa's Natalie Masters kept the home side in it for the opening third.

Another Kuypers' strike and a goal from Sarah Tyson proved enough to seal an important victory for Liverpool.

 Masters hit the final goal of the game on the hour mark but it proved too little too late.