As the rain held off for 90 minutes, both sides played out a scrappy but entertaining fixture without having to dodge any puddles.

Met made the most of their home advantage, starting brightly and pushing Uni into defending for the majority of the first half. The breakthrough came just ten minutes in, when Met’s Amy Kilganon perfectly executed a shot straight down the middle to make it 1-0.

Met winger Abbey Hunt was a constant presence down the wing, and the score would have escalated much more quickly had it not been for Fran Hall’s heroic defending for Uni.

The home side continued to press and nearly doubled their advantage through Lucy Sowerby’s shot, which Uni goalkeeper Sally Storne frantically palmed onto the crossbar.

The match became even more heated when Met’s Shauna Legge escaped unpunished after a reckless challenge on Emma Murray, with the referee refusing to produce a card.

Met’s Abbey McCower narrowly missed the net with a flukey floated cross just before the break, and the teams headed into half-time with the scoreline still at 1-0 despite the home sides’ constant pressure.

Uni looked much brighter in the second half but were still ineffective in the final third. Met substitute Beth Ouken made them pay with her instant impact 65 minutes in, scoring from the edge of the area with a shot that left Storne stranded.

Sowerby, the best player on the pitch, piled on the misery for the away fans with her 30-yard screamer making it 3-0. Uni kept fighting though, and Tash Cree almost got lucky following a fierce shot outside the area.

The game finished 3-0 to the home side which was a fair reflection of their dominance.

Triumphant captain Emma Dobson said: “We all did well and can take a lot from the game today. We are definitely looking forward to playing them in the league!”

Sam Oliver