Anderton hits five for Blackburn

By Tony Leighton

Blackburn Rovers striker Katie Anderton scored five goals as her side thumped Cardiff City 6-0 on the opening day of the Women's Premier League season.

Anderton was overlooked for the England squad that has flown to Macau ahead of next month's World Cup finals in China.

All clubs with players in the England squad have had their League fixtures postponed until after the World Cup.

Only two other games were played and Watford lost 1-0 to Birmingham, while Bristol Academy beat Liverpool 4-3.

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Blackburn 6-0 Cardiff City

Anderton hit 26 goals last season and put herself well on the way to repeating the feat with a devastating display.

The striker bagged a first-half hat-trick then added another two goals in the first 19 minutes of the second period.

Natalie Preston completed the rout in the 65th minute.

Bristol Academy 4-3 Liverpool

Liverpool clawed back a three-goal deficit to draw level but agonisingly lost out to Bartlett's hat-trick goal in the last minute.

Bartlett, Academy's 19-goal top scorer last term, struck either side of a Corinne Yorston goal to put the home side three in front inside the opening half-hour.

Reds' striker Jade Thomas reduced the arrears just before the break and then added a second goal eight minutes into the second half.

Central defender Joanne Traynor then levelled the scores but just before the final whistle Bartlett pounced to ensure Academy collected the points.

Watford 0-1 Birmingham City

Kerys Harrop scored her first senior goal to give Birmingham a winning start to the campaign.

The young left-back, playing in an unaccustomed midfield role, shot home from striker Amy McCann's 63rd- minute cross.

New girls Watford, playing their first game as a top-flight club, were beaten but unbowed after a solid opening performance.

They could well have earned themselves at least point, most notably when Nicola Cable hit the post eight minutes before what proved to be the winning goal.