Kilmarnock 1 Hamilton Accies WFC 7
Manager Kevin Murphy was delighted with the outcome of the first match of the season, “we couldn’t have asked for a better result at the beginning of this season’s campaign, although we got off to the worst possible start the girls showed great character to come back from losing that early goal, we stuck to our passing philosophy and in the end came out comfortable winners”.
Hamilton Accies Women’s Football Club kicked off the new season in the Scottish Women’s Premier League with an away match against Kilmarnock. Accies had played two friendly matches prior to the start of the season recording victories in both games before this away match.
A crowd of approximately 100 turned up to watch the first game of the season played at Blair Park, Hurlford, Kilmarnock’s new home, the pitch was in excellent condition and would prove conducive to good football.
The game was barley two minutes old when a mistake in the Accies defence allowed one of the Kilmarnock strikers through to score. To the Accies girls credit they re-grouped and quickly began to control the game. The attacking line up that manager Kevin Murphy had picked was paying dividends with the Accies midfield dominating the early play.
Within minutes of the Killie goal, the Accies had created two good chances with one of their striker’s shot being tipped over the bar by the Killie goalie, Gillian Mason. On six minutes a great through ball from Helen Templeton released U-19’s Scottish Internationalist Sarah Crilly to smash the ball beyond the Killie goalie and bring the Accies back level. Killie tried to hit back with a shot from distance that shaved Accies goalie Elaine Fleming’s left hand post. By this stage in the game Accies captain, Katie Riley, and centre midfield partner Kim Keys were starting to control the mid-field, a great 4 player move started by Katie was almost finished off by Susan Fairlie only for another great save to deny her scoring her first goal of the season.
On twenty minutes a Killie free kick broke down and a great counter attack from Accies saw Susan Fairlie run 40 yards to send the ball past the Killie goalie high into the back of the net. Accies were now in total control with Ashley McDonald’s pace causing havoc down the left wing, from one of her crosses Susan Fairlie controlled the ball and shot on the turn but her effort was thwarted again by the Killie goalie.
10 minutes before half time Accies should have went 3 – 1 but up a great cross from the left was hooked over the bar; this only delayed the inevitable as a further cross from the right wing was headed home by Sarah Crilly. The Accies ladies ended the first half full of confidence with a 2-goal lead.
The second half started in a slightly slower vain as the Killie defence had been reshaped to try and deal with Accies pace up front this lasted for a while until Manager Kevin Murphy made some telling substitutions. Two great shots from outside the box and a cross that was thumped onto the post showed that Hamilton were back in control.
On 72 minutes Accies debutant Ashley McDonald outstripped the Killie defence to fire an unstoppable into the net. Collette Fleming then added 2 more in quick succession before the scoring was rounded off by a well-taken penalty by Samantha McManus, her first goal for Hamilton at this level.
Manager Kevin Murphy summed the match up “ Early signs are promising but myself and Alan (Urquhart) first team coach know that there are plenty of difficult games ahead”.
Teams:
Kilmarnock: Mason, Murphy, Quinn, Goudie, Murray, Gilmour, Docherty, Mason, Woods, Cooper and Fairlie. Subs Monroe, McGuire, McBride and Wason.
Hamilton: E.Fleming, Inglis, Hogg, Lafferty, King, Templeton, Keys, Riley(c), McDonald, Fairlie and Crilly. Subs: C.Fleming, McManus, McGovern, Harkins and McCann.