Match Reports - ELFC v Queen's Park (Premier League) 12 aug 07

Edinburgh LFC opened their season with a home league tie against newly promoted Queens Park. The two sides had met in last seasons Scottish Cup with the Capital side winning 4-1. Queens Park arrived in a buoyant and confident mood. The game promised to highlight the quality of many of Scotland’s young players with the average age of each starting line up only 20 years old. Both teams had four Scotland U19’s on the pitch for the kick off.

Edinburgh’s young side got of to a flyer when new signing Hayley Lauder fired in a low cross from the left which was steered home by Debbie McWhinnie after 33 seconds. Kate Lagan did well to stop Debbie McWhinnie from making it two in the 3^rd minute when she came from her line to block. Patricia McLaughlin’s fierce shot was well deflected by Tina Ferguson over Kate Lagan’s crossbar. Debbie McWhinnie then lobbed the advancing Kate Lagan only to see her effort clear the bar by inches.

Diana Barry fired inches over after good work by Patricia McLaughlin before the former was then upended in the box in the 17th minute just as she was about to stroke the ball into the empty net. Danni Pagliarulo stepped up to convert the penalty sending Kate Lagan the wrong way.

In the 20^th minute Hayley Lauder scored her first goal for the club when she ghosted in at the back post to slot past the Queens keeper and give her new side a 3-0 lead.

Edinburgh then allowed Queens a slight glimmer of hope in the 34 minute when they failed to close down Michelle Pasnick who after good work by Christie Murray shot from 20 yards into Rachael Dorrens’s top right hand corner to reduce the deficit. ELFC then went 4-1 up in 38 minutes when Debbie McWhinnie rounded the keeper to grab her second of the afternoon.

ELFC in the second half had no need to chase the game and played controlled football, still looking very dangerous on the break creating several chances to increase their lead, Patricia McLaughlin shot powerfully across Kate Lagan who pulled off a great save to tip the ball round her right post. ELFC were restricting Queens to shots from distance, ELFC keeper Rachael Dorrens pulled of two good stops from Jenny Beatty and a Christie Murray free kick. The Capital club managed to score two more goals in the 56^th and 83^rd minutes. The first of these a wonderful solo effort from Diana Barry who ran from her own half past several Queens defenders before slotting past Kate Lagan. Claire Crosbie then rose above the Queens defence to header home to make the score 6-1. Queens scored a late consolation when Cheryl McCulloch whipped in a cross from the left which ELFC could only clear to the edge of the box to the lurking Tina Ferguson who shot past the unsighted Rachael Dorrens.

ELFC coach Carson Ralton said “We have prepared for the new season in our own quiet way, the girls looked sharp and we could not have had a better start against a very good side, we introduced four new signings in Rachael, Stacey, Hayley and Louise and they all had smashing games, with the players from last season all looking very very good, I hope we can go on from here and have another rewarding season”. “Queens Park have very good players and I am sure they will recover from today’s defeat and have a good season in the top league”.

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The Spiders went into their first league game in the Premier League after a fine preseason, but a horrific first three minutes saw the loss of two goals but more importantly the loss of left footed talisman Lauren MacMillan. This shook up the Spiders somewhat, and allowed the lightning quick Edinburgh frontline of Diana Barry and Debbie McWhinnie to let the Edinburgh side sail into a three goal lead.

However, whilst the result may not have been a positive one, the character traits of the Spiders came shining through. Not once did a head drop or a tackle go uncontested and the classy feet of Michelle Pasnik saw the Spiders build fantastically well and the little buzzbomb planted an absolute cracker into the top corner from 25 yards. Unfortunately, some slack defending of a set piece saw the Spiders get bedraggled and an attempt to play the offside trap went awry and McWhinnie finished again to make it 4-1 at halfway.

In the changing room the girls first half performance was analysed and responsibilities were re-defined and re-allocated to the point where the Spiders came out the traps a different side. Edinburgh were under siege constantly, with Jenny Beattie sending two piledrivers from 30 yards to within inches of the upright, and Cheryl McCulloch tearing the right back to pieces and getting crosses into the box, however luck was not on Queens side, as the post and the bar denied Michelle Pasnik and Terri Donnelly along with some skimmed headers from set pieces.

Alas, the Spiders resurgence was punctured when Edinburgh's Diana Barry picked up the ball on the halfway line and sprinted clear to round Kate Lagan with a fine finish, hammering home the message that chances must be taken at this level. Yet again however, Queens followed the game plan and it bore fruit after Cheryl McCulloch again turned provider this time for Tina Ferguson to finish from 14 yards, only after Clare Crosbie had directed a looping header over Kate Lagan.

The game finished soon after, and Edinburgh rightly took the three points after a slick first half showing. However, the signs are more than evident that Queen's Park will put up some excellent performances in this league, with perhaps needing to gain some good luck in front of goal on the way.