Goals from Phoebie Poole, Vera Jones, Aoibheann Clancy and Maddison Perry helped Renée Hector’s side to all three points, despite a late double by Durham’s Beth Hepple.

It was a lively start by the Golden Girls, who came out of the blocks quickly within the opening 10 minutes. Poole stung the palms of Durham keeper Cat Sheppard, and Perry thundered a scorching effort from distance against the crossbar.

Just eight minutes later, the home side found a deserved lead. In the 17th minute, a fantastic driving run from Perry led to a pinpoint cross from the left-hand side. The cross was prodded home at the near post by Poole, for the Welsh international’s third goal in her last three appearances for the Golden Girls, after notching a first of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers three weeks ago.

As the opening half progressed, Durham eventually carved out their first clear-cut chance, when a shot was prodded towards goal by Jade Pennock, but in a crowded penalty box, Safia Middleton-Patel did well to gather it on the goal line.

The second half then began in the same manner as the first, with Watford showing their intent early on. The home side pressed the visitors well in the opening two minutes, and when Durham goalkeeper Sheppard misplaced a pass, Jones capitalised, striking the ball into the bottom left corner to claim her second of the season and make it 2-0 on 47 minutes.

Not long after, a vicious in-swinging Aoibheann Clancy corner flew directly into the Durham net, to make it 3-0 to Hector’s side and dispel any fears of a Wildcats revival.

In the 65th minute, the Golden Girls grabbed a fourth goal to really drive home their dominance. Perry hit a wonderful long-range curler, which kissed the inside of the post and rebounded into the net via Sheppard in the Durham goal.

Durham did eventually get going when Beth Hepple pulled back a late double with goals in the 86th and 98th minutes, but the victory belonged to the Golden Girls.

After the game, head coach Renée Hector said it “feels amazing” to get the first win of the season on the board.

Renée Hector after Watford's win over Durham. (Image: Watford FC)

She suggested that she had been feeling that, despite not winning previously, “one day it is going to click and when it clicks, we are going to batter a team - I feel that today was that day.”

Hector said the team “stood up to the task”, and the Watford head coach advised the players not to “rest on [their] laurels. We do not rest. We do not settle. It is really important that we continue to be motivated and push for more.”

Watford are back in action against Ipswich Town at Vicarage Road in the Women’s League Cup next Saturday.