FORFAR FARMINGTON LADIES v SPARTANS FC- S.W.P.L. Cup - Sunday 17th. August 2008

Forfar Farmington Ladies 1 Spartans Ladies 4

  Two goals in the last seven minutes of this entertaining encounter finally put pay to a battling Forfar and their hopes of equalising and taking the tie into extra time.

Forfar started brightly taking the lead in the seventh minute when Tracy Brogan reacted first to Avril Gourlay’s flicked on header from a corner, heading in from close range.  Spartan’s centre forward brought the scores level on seventeen minutes with an unstoppable left foot strike from some twenty yards which curled into the top right hand corner of Fiona McNicoll’s goal.

Both sides were intent on attacking at every opportunity and had their fair share of possession but Spartans with plenty of fire power upfront and from midfield increasingly looked the more likely to score.

On the half hour Hayley Lauder gave the visitors the lead when she turned well in the box getting a shot off which found the corner of the net.

Half Time 1-2

On the restart Forfar’s Emily Phillips came close to equalising following a good run but the shot unfortunately ran across the goalmouth striking the outside of the post.

With both sides keen to move the ball there were plenty of chances created on the counter attack. Lauder should have made it 3-1 on the hour mark but the shot which went wide served to keep the tie alive. Forfar’s Clare Garrett almost produced the lifeline when she hit the post in the seventy-fifth minute. This effort seemed to galvanise Spartans, Shelley Kerr responding with a header which just cleared the cross bar. Spartans finally made the decisive move when they latched on to a Kerr long ball and with a neat pass found Kate MacGillvray who calmly slotted the ball home.

With two minutes to go and the result beyond doubt Kerr made it four with a tap in header at the back post as the ball rebounded off the cross bar following a corner.

The final three goal margin failed to reflect the true nature of this contest with Spartans being made to work hard for their victory.
Forfar’s work rate and effort throughout the match was excellent, coupled with some fine slick passing moves. The progress of Emma Percy, who had an excellent game in only her second outing since moving up from the Lassies, will be of some comfort to coach Mark Nisbet.