Adekite Fatuga-Dada admitted she “was a bit emotional” after netting her first competitive Watford goal to earn her side’s first win of the season against Milwall Lionesses last night.

The Hornets have suffered a difficult start to the campaign with three successive Women’s Super League 2 defeats, but they are up and running in Group One South of the Continental Tyres Cup after the substitute scored the only goal of the game with 18 minutes remaining.

“I thought we completely dominated the game,” Fatuga-Dada said after the 1-0 win at Kings Langley. “We just weren’t getting the rub of the green before we scored the goal.

“We’ve been working hard for the manager all season and it’s a great win for us.

“We played Millwall earlier this season and we went one 1-0 and let our performance drop. We kept going for the full 90 minutes this time and hopefully we can kick on.”

Reflecting on her decisive contribution, she continued: “To get my first competitive Watford goal in a game like that is amazing for me. I was a bit emotional at the end of the game but the win means a lot to us.

“We were practicing set-pieces a lot in training so it’s good to get a goal from it. Our manager wants us to get more goals from set-pieces so it’s good we’re doing that.

“We would like to go on a cup run because this is a great tournament to take part in.”

Millwall went into the game in fine form but the hosts were the better side in the opening exchanges after Lionesses forward Rianna Dean needed lengthy treatment on the touchline following a clash with Nat Murray.

And Murray could have given the Hornets the lead on 25 minutes after Leigh Nicol flicked on a cross from the right into her path, but the forward fluffed her lines.

The visitors grew into the game and forced a good save from Watford keeper Fran Kitching following Ashlee Hincks’ looping free-kick on 40 minutes.

Watford started the second half strongly and nearly took the lead, but Leah Cudone narrowly failed to get on the end of Rinsola Babajide’s cross.

Murray was denied by Sarah Quantrill on 59 minutes following Bianca Bragg’s neat through ball, while Hincks’ menacing corner from the left nearly flew into the Hornets’ net.

The breakthrough came after 72 minutes when Watford captain Anneka Nuttall’s in-swinging free-kick was met by Fatuga-Dada, who powerfully volleyed the ball past Quantrill from six yards out.

Watford Ladies: Kitching; Sargeant, Jones, Nuttall, Kerr; Bragg (Puddefoot 68), Will, Maple; Babajide, Murray, Cudone (Fatuga-Dada 61). Subs not used: Baranowska, McCarthy, Petkova, Ward, Neal.