Cliftonville Ladies start League Cup defence with six-goal rout against Derry City as Glentoran hit nine

A hat-trick from Caitlin McGuinness eased the Reds to the triumph, with Marissa Callaghan netting twice and Katie Markey also on the scoresheet.

Also in Group A, it was a winning start for Linfield Women as they travelled to defeat Lisburn Ladies at the Bluebell Stadium.

Cora Chambers fired the Blues in front inside the opening five minutes with a low driven finish past keeper Zara Maguire.

Chambers then doubled her tally for the evening midway through the first half before, a couple of minutes from the break, Eve Reilly knocked home number three after pouncing on a loose pass.

Keri Loughrey added to Linfield’s tally a few minutes into the second half after racing in on goal to get her name on the scoresheet on her debut for the club.

Jessica Hall found the net with three minutes remaining as the home side bagged a late consolation.

Glentoran Women got the new season off to a storming start with a Group B defeat of Larne Women at Inver Park.

Emily Wilson opened the scoring for the Glens as early as the fifth minutes, with new signing Mia Moore catching the home defence by surprise just sixty seconds after that to double the visitors' lead.

Rachel Rogan added a third soon after, with Demi Vance hitting another within a few minutes.

The brisk start to the game continued moments later when Ella Parker got on the end ball to chip keeper Ashleigh McKinnon to pull one back for Larne.

However another goal apiece from both Moore and Rogan saw the Glens go in at the break with a handsome advantage.

Wilson also hit her second of the evening eight minutes into the second half, but Hollie Johnston then responded with Larne's second when he buried the ball in the back of the net.

Substitute Sophie McKnight added to Glentoran's tally on the hour before Wilson completed the scoring with her hat-trick goal on 68 minutes.

Meanwhile, at Seaview, Rebecca Mann knocked home the only goal of the game as Crusaders Strikers got the better of last season’s runners-up Lisburn Rangers.

Mann, just a few days after celebrating her 19th birthday, grabbed what proved to be the winner with just under half-an-hour on the clock.