After losing to title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) last weekend, the Lion City Sailors Women knew they had to make a strong statement in their next outing against Balestier Khalsa — and they delivered emphatically.

On Saturday (24 May) night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, the Sailors produced a ruthless display to overwhelm the Tigers 14-0 to keep their WPL title hopes very much alive, while boosting their goal difference in style.

Madison Telmer led the charge with four goals, while Seri Nurinsyirah – deployed in an unfamiliar central midfield role – shone with a hat-trick of her own. Mattar Sailors graduates Putri Alyiah Seow and Nor Adriana Lim came off the bench to net a brace each, with Syazwani Ruzi, Sarah Zu’risqha, and Yuvika Suresh also getting in on the act.

“It felt great when I scored the first. It was my first time playing as a central midfielder in the WPL, so getting a hat-trick was a real bonus,” said Seri, who is usually deployed as a left-back.

“We utilised more combination plays today, especially through the wingers, and that really made a difference in the result.”

Seri wasted no time setting the tone for the evening, opening the floodgates in just the third minute with a well-taken finish. Barely three minutes later, Madison doubled the lead, sliding in at full stretch to meet Yuvika’s driven cross with a clinical touch.

Seri then struck again in the 15th minute to make it 3-0. The 16-year-old’s low effort took a slight deflection and, despite Balestier goalkeeper Talia Sachet getting a hand to it, the shot had enough power to find the back of the net. To her credit, Sachet made a string of saves throughout the match to prevent an even larger margin.

Syazwani got in on the act in the 31st minute, before Seri completed her remarkable first-half hat-trick in the 40th minute, as she reacted quickest to a rebound after Madison’s initial shot was parried.

Yuvika added her second soon after, before Madison capped off the first half with her second goal to give the Sailors a commanding 7-0 lead at the break.

While the Sailors dominated possession, they were occasionally tested at the back. Goalkeeper Izairida Shakira had to stay alert, producing a couple of smart stops as Balestier launched several quick counter-attacks in a spirited attempt to reduce the deficit.

The Sailors emerged from the break with renewed energy and fresh legs, as Head Coach Daniel Ong introduced Sarah, Liyana Rickit and Adriana to maintain their attacking impetus.

And it did not take long for the changes to bear fruit.

Just a minute after the restart, Madison danced past a sea of defenders before firing home to complete her hat-trick in style. Barely two minutes later, Adriana made an instant impact, arriving at the right place at the right time to tuck away a neat cutback for the Sailors’ ninth goal.

The floodgates remained firmly open as Madison notched her fourth of the night in the 51st minute with a composed strike from Raeka Ee’s incisive cutback. The 21-year-old then turned provider, teeing up Sarah to get in on the act.

Adriana soon followed with her second of the evening, calmly finishing in the 60th minute to bring the Sailors’ tally to 12.

“It felt great to score twice after coming on, and I got to play more minutes than usual, which was a bonus,” said Adriana.

“I’m proud of the improvements I’ve made, and it was really down to the excellent service from our wingers. The trust we’ve built as a team really shows in moments like these – we know where to be, and we believe in each other to deliver.”

Coming on for Yuvika in the 64th minute, Alyiah wasted no time making her mark, as she pounced on a loose ball in the 74th minute to tap home the Sailors’ penultimate goal, before rounding off the scoring with their 14th just before the final whistle.

The brace took Alyiah’s season tally to seven goals, drawing her level with both Sarah and Raeka as the Sailors’ joint top scorers in the league.

With the WPL title race potentially coming down to goal difference, the emphatic scoreline could prove pivotal in the weeks ahead as the league takes a break for the international window.

“It was so important for us to score as many as we did today,” reflected Seri. “Goal difference could really make the difference in our title chase against Albirex, especially after the loss to them last week.

“It’s going to be crucial for us to keep being brave and aggressive in our attacking play.”

The Sailors will return to WPL action on 16 August when they take on Tanjong Pagar United at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.