Hamilton Academical WFC/GFC

SWPL

Aberdeen 3 - 3 Hamilton Accies

Accies travelled north this weekend to face the Aberdeen team who only a matter of weeks ago had put them out of the League cup in a dramatic penalty shout out.

Manager Kevin Murphy stated after the game “To go to Aberdeen and play the way we did was fantastic, we took the game to them from the first minute and dictated the play. At three nil up you expect the girls to see the game out, however individual errors are costing us games”

 The match started with Accies on top and managing to create a couple of early chances, both of which were blocked for corners. The return of the experienced Nicki Grant to the Accies midfield after an absence of two years due to cruciate ligament damage allowed the Accies midfield to control the play in the middle of the park but without threatening the Dons goal.

 It took until the 34th minute for Accies to finally make the breakthrough, the Aberdeen right back was short with a back pass that allowed Accies striker Sarah Crilly to steal in ahead of the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. Confidence, which is always a fragile thing with this team, began to grow and they put further pressure on the Dons goal.

 Just before half time the second goal, which Accies overall play warranted, finally arrived. A good move down the left opened up the Dons defence the ball was played inside to Susan Fairlie who with a good turn and shot put the Accies two up. 

 The first half finished with Accies on the attack and looking like adding to their lead.

 The second half had barely started when a lovely through ball by Sarah Crilly to Susan Fairlie allowed Susan to turn inside the fullback and dispatch the ball into the bottom corner. Accies were now three nil up and the game looked all but over, but as happened a few weeks earlier against the same team, the Accies allowed their opponents back into the game.

 On 62 minutes a bad mistake in the Accies defence allowed the ball to run across the six-yard box where it was intercepted and poked home by Aberdeen striker Chloe Fitzpatrick. This goal gave Aberdeen renewed energy and they began to put the Accies defence under ever increasing pressure. The pressure paid off on 75 minutes when Accies did not clear their lines and a well struck shot by Chloe Fitzpatrick, her second of the match, brought the game back to 3-2.

 With 5 minutes remaining, another mistake in the Accies defence allowed Hather in to bring the scores level. The timing of this goal gave the Accies little time to strike back and snatch a late winner.

 Kevin Murphy summed the match up at the end ”We are a young team and have improved considerably from last season but our inexperience to see out games is our biggest downfall. Before the game a draw away to Aberdeen would have been considered a good result but heading back down the road it seemed more like a defeat”.

 Due to international commitments, Accies now have a few weeks off which they can hopefully put to good use working on their game and improving their defensive organisation.

 The last two games have seen poor defending squander points and in a league as tight as this one those lost points may come back to haunt them.

Hamilton Accies Team:

 Hamilton: Fleming, King, McGovern, Makarainen, Keys, Reilly, Grant, McDonald, Fairlie and Crilly.

Subs: Inglis, Fleming, Templeton, Lafferty and McManus