The second-half scoring specialists were at it again last night as Watford Ladies won 1-0 at C&K Basildon Ladies to continue their impressive campaign to date.

The Golden Girls’ fifth successive Women’s National League South victory was secured by Emily Hill’s strike from a short corner with six minutes of normal time remaining to leave Armand Kavaja’s side second in the table, a point behind Coventry United.

The Hornets will travel to the league leaders in the next league game on Sunday, October 21 but as often happens, they will clash twice in quick succession after also being paired together in this week’s draw for the last 32 of the National League Cup. That game is due to be played at Kings Langley on Sunday, October 14.

With captain Helen Ward not available, Hill took over the armband for the night and she was forced into some good defending to prevent the hosts having an early chance in the encounter.

Watford stepped up their attacking game, with Danielle Scanlon seeing a shot blocked before Linda Afuakwah saw her cross well held by the Basildon keeper.

The Hornets continued to create more of the chances as the opening half unfolded with Andrea Carid seeing a shot saved, while some last-ditch defending repelled two efforts in quick succession from Laura Baker.

The opening period was to end goalless but Watford went into the second half with the knowledge that 10 of their previous 11 goals had been scored after the break.

After Weronika Baranowska had dealt comfortably with the first effort of the second period from the hosts, Scanlon saw a dipping effort tipped over before another effort was blocked by the keeper.

Hornets keeper Baranowska was called upon to make a good save, before Kavaja bolstered his attacking options shortly after the hour mark by sending on Anaisa Harney for Baker.

The visitors began to increase the pressure as Harney saw a shot blocked away for a corner, before another effort from Hill resulted in an identical set-piece outcome for the visitors.

Afuwakwah and Katie O’Leary, twice, had further efforts on goal saved, before Watford’s pressure finally told when the visitors opted to work a corner short and the ball broke for Hill to fire into the bottom corner to secure a sixth straight win in all competitions.