Aberdeen Shoot Down "Gunners" - Arsenal North Ladies FC 3 – Aberdeen FC Ladies 6

Aberdeen travelled to Glasgow to meet Arsenal North at Glasgow Green and started with a 3-4-3 formation, Murray moving from attack to midfield. Attacking up the left, Corsie sought out Wright in the box but a sticky patch of mud held up the ball long enough for Wright to be closed down. Small combined with Corsie with a one-two looking for Wright again but Arsenal’s McKenzie cleared for a corner. The corner was delivered long , Taylor ducking for McLellan to head but not cleanly and the home side cleared.

Aberdeen opened the scoring on 15 minutes, Small breaking forward, passing to Corsie who found Wright. She winged up the right before crossing, McLellan narrowly failed to connect with her head but MURRAY was at the back post to fire in from close range. Curly for Arsenal wrong-footed Scott, cutting to cross but Taylor and Small had it covered and closed down the attack. A half chance for Arsenal, Quigg finding herself one on one but keeper Hutcheson was sharper to the ball.

A free kick for the home side just inside the Dons half was played in long. Taylor headed out wide to Corsie who went on the attack winning a corner which she sent into the side netting. From the goal kick Aberdeen won the ball, Corsie chasing up the right and crossing in for WRIGHT to head in from 10 yards on 35 minutes. Two minutes later Arsenal pulled one back out of nothing. QUIGG picked up wide on the right, strode in a couple of steps and fired. The shot went high to the near post where Hutcheson got a hand to it but it carried in.

 Arsenal continued to pressure, a corner sent in to mid goal was cleared by Taylor but Arsenal picked up outside the box. HUGHES collected, turned and placed a curling left footer which hit the right hand upright went along the line and in off the left post. From the kick off the Dons went forward again. Wright latched onto a poor clearance from the keeper on the edge of the box and placed a lob which was bound for goal but the keeper did well sprinting back to hand it off the line. Arsenal pushed for a spell pinning Aberdeen in their own half before they broke forward winning a corner. Taylor connected with a firm header on target but it was headed off the line by Hughes.

 Half Time Arsenal 2 – Aberdeen 2

Aberdeen pressed from the kick off and 5 minutes into the half a cross from the left went long across goal for CORSIE to collect on the right and fire a blistering shot which went in off the post. Three minutes later an incident between McLellan and Quigley saw two red cards and both teams reduced to ten players. A burst from Small and Corsie up the right then a long pass saw Murray overtake Arsenals Davies who recovered well to concede a corner from Murray’s cross attempt. Sent in to mid-goal, HAMILL ghosted in unmarked to head home from 5 yards.

 Arsenal fought back winning a corner on the left. Met by Davies it was cleared off the line by Hamill and on to Wright but Curly hassled and harried her off the ball. Duff tried a long shot which hit the left upright then Duff again struck but Hutcheson collected easily. After a decent spell from Arsenal, Aberdeen broke via Corsie who ran at goal but eventually running out of options as she was closed down. Still battling, Arsenal pushed again winning a corner on the right which was headed in cleanly by GEMMILL to level again.

 The steam went out of the Aberdeen attack a little but eventually they pushed into the Arsenal box, Murray forcing a corner with a shot which was tipped past the post and again the keeper did well to snatch the corner out of the air at the front post. Another half chance was saved by the Arsenal keeper who sent a quick, long ball into the Dons half. It bounced over Scott, Taylor had a desperate track back to prevent the attack, conceding a foul on the edge of the box which Gemmill sent over the bar. Duff again threatened latching onto a long clearance and had a pot shot which rattled the bar.  

With a couple of minutes of normal time on the clock Scott found WRIGHT who took it past the defence and had time to look up and pick her spot to place it past the keeper. Still pressing Murray had a strike which the keeper palmed onto the bar and over for the corner. From the corner Arsenal worked well to clear but WRIGHT picked up 35 yards out and sent a high looping ball over the keeper to seal the game.

 Aberdeen Team :-

Jo Hutcheson, Paula Scott, Jenni Taylor, Rachel Small, Rachel Corsie, Rachel Hamill, Susan Murray, Chloe Fitzpatrick (Carolyn Hather), Shireen Bradford (Claire Martin), Helen McLellan, Nikki Wright

DaveU, 1 March 2007