Glasgow City defeated third placed Kilmarnock 4-2 today in a tough encounter at Glasgow Green.

 

City enjoyed most of the possession in the first half and had the opportunity to take the lead through a penalty by Leeanne Campbell following a handball in the Kilmarnock box. Killie keeper Rachael Dorrens was equal to the shot by Campbell and saved well to keep the score at 0-0.

 

City did however deservedly take the lead through a tremendous strike by left back Jayne Sommerville. Controlling the ball on her right foot, Sommerville took the ball past the outrushing Kilmarnock defence, before hitting a clean left foot shot into the top right hand corner of Dorrens’ goal.

 

Sommerville’s goal failed to dampen the Kilmarnock spirits and they equalised with their first clean strike on goal after some poor positioning from the City defence.

 

In the second half, City restored their lead and eventually went 4-1 up against the visitors. Midfielder Suzanne Lappin once again proved her threat in the air as she met a good cross from Jane Ross to bullet her header into the net. Sommerville made it number three, scoring her second of the day with a low strike after Kimarnock had failed to clear a City corner. Striker Katharina Linder was next on the score sheet, after good combination play with Emma Fernon, saw Linder hit a deflected left foot shot into the back of the net.

 

Kilmarnock worked hard to get back into the game and made it 4-2 with ten minutes remaining. However, City maintained their lead and finished deserved 4-2 winners on the day.

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Killie go down 4-2 away to Glasgow City!

The match at Glasgow green kicked off with both teams looking to continue their good starts to the season, with Glasgow City sitting top of the league unbeaten this season against a Killie team looking to show they are still a top side in the Womens Premier league.

Killie started the match well with all the players working extremely hard all over the park breaking up play and playing some good football. Laura Cooper began the match in fine form hounding down the City defence at every opportunity. It was the other half of the Cooper connection, Jo Cooper who tested Laura Williamson first, but her shot was sent round the post. Glasgow City though were still creating chances themselves and Kat Lindner was playing well down the right hand side of their front three. It was Lindner who helped create a chance down the right hand side that played the ball in off Debbie Heggarty’s arm. The result being a penalty to Glasgow City after only 10 minutes as the Referee deemed it to be arm to ball rather than ball to arm as the Killie team saw it. Leeanne Campbell stepped up to take it, put it to the keepers right, but it was saved superbly by Rachel Dorrans on her Killie Debut in goals. Glasgow City though did not have to wait long to score, when after 14 minutes Jayne Sommerville who had got forward from left back, was not closed down quickly enough and hit a great strike with her left foot 25 yards out into the corner of the net. Glasgow City 1, Killie 0.

For the third game running Kilmarnock found themselves a goal down early on, but rather than be stunned like previous weeks, concentrated on the job in hand and played some excellent football with Claire McCombe, Kirsty McLaughlin and Toni Mason bossing the midfield at times against what is quality opposing players. The City defence were doing well though keeping Kilmarnock out with only shots from distance coming in at keeper Williamson. They could not prevent Killie getting the equaliser when after the City defence failed to clear their lines, Laura Cooper was first to react and struck the ball with her right foot past the keeper. A talented 17 year old striker who was player of the year for the under 17’s last year and wearing the number 9 shirt for the first time this season making a big impact netting an important goal after 33 minutes. Glasgow City 1, Killie 1. The game remained that way until half time with the scores level.

Half Time: Glasgow City 1, Killie 1.

Manager Robert Connelly and his Assistant Gordon Cunningham were delighted with their teams first half showing and were hopping for more of the same for the second half. Killie began the half not too bad, but fives minutes into the second half Killie switched off and conceded a poor goal after 50 minutes when Suzanne Lappin made it Glasgow City 2, Killie 1.

Jayne Sommerville and Kat Lindner added another two goals after 54 and 55 minutes putting Glasgow city 4 -1 up. Killie having done so well first half had lost 3 sloppy goals by their standards in the space of 5 minutes and now had a mountain to climb. City showed that any team that switches off to them will be punished and Killie learned some serious harsh lessons at the start of the second half. Glasgow City 4, Killie 1. Killie made a change in between times with Sharon Hughes coming on for Lindzi Bayne in a tactical change.

Killie Captain Tracey Burns however rallied her troops and got them going again, with the energizer bunny Toni Mason chasing everything down. Claire McCombe went close a couple of times from distance, as did Laura Cooper who forced the City keeper into a great save. Toni Mason then let one fly that looked in from the touchline only to go agonisingly past. City though also had a couple of good opportunities to add to their lead but were denied by the in form Rachel Dorrans in the Killie goal. Sharon Hughes who had come on for Lindzi Bayne was bursting down the Killie left and creating openings giving City captain Leeanne Campbell a tough time. Hughes put in a good cross that landed in the six yard box only to find no Killie players in that area and City again managed to clear their lines. Hughes was again in amongst things when a header from Kirsty McLaughlin corner was heading straight into the bottom corner only for the City keeper to make an outstanding save on the line. Killie did pull a goal back when Jo Cooper burst forward from the right hand side and lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper to make it Glasgow City 4, Killie 2 after 75 minutes.

The Kilmarnock team had 15 minutes left to get 2 goals back, a tough ask, but within their reach as they mounted a final assault on the City defence. Ainsley Kelly replaced goal scorer Jo Cooper after 77 minutes in another tactical reshuffle from manager Robert Connelly. Killie had to endure another hairy moment at the back when a free kick was awarded for a back pass ten yards from goal. Killie however dealt with the danger and cleared their lines. Megan Sneddon who had come onto a good game second half was again instrumental in a City attack, but Kirsty McLaughlin stole the ball in midfield and created a 3 on 2 attack with Toni Mason and Laura Cooper, but like the Killie defence minutes before the City defence done well and dealt with the danger. The last chance of the game of the game fell to Julie Smith who like Jo Cooper for her goal lobbed the keeper, but with no real pace on the ball Toni Mason burst in ahead of 2 City defenders in hot pursuit only to guide the ball of the post and out for a goal kick. Lady luck was not wearing a Killie top today, that’s for sure. The match ended 4-2 in favour of the League Leaders, but the Killie players can take some pride and confidence from their performance going into another massive game at home to Champions Hibs next weekend.

Final Score: Glasgow City 4, Killie 2.

Killie Team: Dorrans, Smith, Quinn, Burns ©, Heggarty, Bayne (Hughes), McLaughlin, Mason, McCombe, J.Cooper (Kelly) & L.Cooper.
Subs: Hughes, Forsyth, Kelly, C.Ferguson, L.Ferguson & Munro.

After the match Killie Manager Robert Connelly Said “I am proud of every one of the girls today, as I thought they stuck to their task and done what was asked of them beforehand and played to the best of their ability. We created a lot of chances today, which for the second week in succession is encouraging and also at times today had the lions share of the possession. I think if you look at the 4-2 score line, it perhaps flatters Glasgow City as we ran them close today and they knew straight from kick off they were in a game today. But we cannot afford to switch off for 5 minutes in any game, especially not to a team of their pedigree, as they got 3 shooting opportunities in those 5 minutes and took every one of them. After that period of that match though we responded well when other teams would have perhaps folded and showed good character to take the game to them after our 2nd goal. We are improving with each game and are still on target to achieve our goals this season which was spelt out to the girls at the start of the season. I would also like to stress how strong our squad is this year with a lot of options now available to me for each area of the park and Sharon Hughes and Ainsley Kelly proved that when they came on today that they too can step up to the plate and deliver a performance. The girls are all working hard in training and it is up those in the side to keep performing to keep their place, as I know if called upon any of the squad will do the club proud.”

Assistant Manager Gordon Cunningham echoed the manager in saying “ The girls were different class today and with a wee rub of the green perhaps we take a point or points from this game. But credit where credits due Glasgow City capitalised on us when we fell asleep for 5 minutes early in the second half, but we will learn from it and become a better team from it. I also thought Rachel Dorrans done well today on her debut and made a great save at the penalty. We lost a game today, but their was a lot of positives to be taken from this game and hopefully we can build on these in training this week in preparation for our next match at home to Hibs next Sunday at Hurlford.”

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Sound defence boosts leaders

League leaders Glasgow City welcome third placed Kilmarnock to Glasgow Green this weekend in what City Manager Peter Caulfield is sure will be a tough encounter.

 

He said, “We are really looking forward to playing Kilmarnock this Sunday. They always make it very difficult and have given us some great games in the past. But we have started the season very sound at back, with all of our work on the training ground beginning to pay dividends. Similarly we have been scoring lots of goals and as a Manager I couldn’t be happier with that. We will definitely be trying to focus on carrying our good form into this week’s game. We are in a great position just now and that is solely down to our play all over the pitch, and we will be desperate to keep our momentum going against Killie.”

 

Kilmarnock have started the season fairly brightly and a win would not only seriously affect City’s League Championship hopes, but it would also keep Killie in the running at the top end of the table. After being ousted out of third spot last year by Edinburgh, Kilmarnock fans will be desperate that their team regains their top three status.

 

Elsewhere Queens Park host Forfar, and with the two sides separated by only one point at the moment, the Spiders will see this as one of their most important matches of the campaign so far. Sitting third from the bottom, three points for Queens could lift them away from the relegation zone and will no doubt be a much needed confident boost for the young side.