SOPHIA Pharoah scored twice as Saints Women comfortably beat Watford 3-0 in the Championship at St Mary's.

Megan Collett opened the scoring shortly before half time when her clever finish beat Safia Middleton-Patel.

Pharoah doubled the lead with a stunning volley and then she added a third with an equally brilliant chip from distance.

The result means Saints have kept in touch with their promotion rivals near the top of the Championship.

Paige Peake and Pharoah both came into the Saints side from the 2-0 win over Sunderland in the FA Cup - with Rosie Parnell and Rianna Dean making way.

Watford's Lucia Leon went close early-on when her clever flicked effort brought a sharp stop from Bethany Howard.

Katie Wilkinson, who scored twice in the FA Cup victory last weekend, tried her luck from around 35 yards out but her attempt was comfortably gathered by Middleton-Patel again.

Despite being bottom of the Championship, the visitors were looking dangerous in the final third and they almost took the lead on two occasions within a minute.

First, Sophia McLean's shot whistled past the post before Michelle Agyemang was denied from close range by Howard.

Saints took the lead with five minutes remaining in the first half when Collett got on the end of Lucia Kendall's cross from the left to direct an effort past Middleton-Patel.

They almost added a second shortly after when a searching pass found Wilkinson but she was unable to squeeze a shot inside the post as the angle narrowed.

The Hornets still carried a threat into the second half and only a last-ditch intervention prevented Agyemang from getting onto the end of a cross.

Spacey-Cale's side made it 2-0 prior to the hour mark when Jemma Purfield's cross was brilliantly met by Pharoah, who cushioned a volley into the top corner.

Pharoah was at it again within just four minutes of that goal, as she was put through by Wilkinson before lofting an excellent chip over Middleton-Patel and into the net.

Milly Mott and substitute Rianna Dean were replaced for the final minutes after picking up injuries.

Saints are next in action on Thursday when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Eastleigh's Silverlake Stadium in the Continental Cup.

Saints: Howard; Mott (Milne, 84), Rafferty, Peake; Collett, Kendall, Primus (Peplow, 86), Purfield; Pike, Pharoah (Lloyd-Smith, 86), Wilkinson (Dean, 73) (Wynne, 99)

Unused Subs: Rendell, Nohasiarisoa.

Watford: Middleton-Patel; Bennett, Meiwald, Reid, McLean, Leon (Head, 72); Georgiou (Johns, 62), Harbert, Wilson; Haines (Rossiter, 72), Agyemang (Baptiste, 82)

Unused Subs: Laffayette, Fleming, Goldsmid, Aalisch

Referee: Megan Wilson

Attendance: 1,851

Goals: Collett 40’

Pharoah 59'

Pharoah 63'