Sheffield United 0-5 Aston Villa

Aston Villa Women beat Sheffield United 5-0 to get their Conti Cup campaign off to a winning start.

Rachel Daly's first half hat-trick set Villa on their way, while Ebony Salmon and Dan Turner also struck to relieve the team of some early-season pressure.

The result comes off the back of a difficult run which has included five consecutive defeats in the Barclays WSL.

Carla Ward made five changes from the side that started Saturday’s defeat to Chelsea in the Barclays WSL.

Anna Leat, who made a heroic Villa debut at this stage of last season’s competition, started between the posts.

Rachel Corsie returned to the starting XI to captain the side, while Olivia McLoughlin made her first start of the campaign.

Ebony Salmon and Adriana Leon began either side of Rachel Daly as they did do during our recent defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa came flying out of the blocks and were two goals ahead in next-to-no time.

First, Daly converted a penalty kick with ease after Leon was upended inside the area.

Then, the Canadian winger crossed for our number nine to finish spectacularly for her fourth of the season.

Leon doubled her own assist tally when she provided Daly with the cross, in which our striker headed home for her hat-trick.

Salmon got in on the act when she scored her first goal since returning to the club, rolling the ball beyond the onrushing ‘keeper.

Villa went into the break in complete control, and Daly was rewarded for her efforts with a welcome rest as Georgia Mullet came on in her place.

The search for more goals was unrelenting, and Maz Pacheco was inches away from adding a fifth with an impressive free-kick.

Mullett then went close with a glancing header after a good ball in from Jordan Nobbs.

Ward introduced Kenza Dali, Laura Blindkilde Brown and Alisha Lehmann after the hour-mark as Villa’s control on the game was insurmountable.

A fifth did come before the full-time whistle as Turner stabbed home from close range for her first goal in Villa colours.

Villa's first win of the season has come, and they will now turn their attentions to Sunday at Bristol City.