Match Reports - Spartans v Celtic 12 apl 09 SWPL

A goal scored in the fourth minute of time added on gave Celtic women’s side a 3-3 draw in a magnificent Scottish premier division clash with Spartans in a spectacular football game in the Capital. The Glasgow outfit top the table but it is a three-way fight to land the crown and glory in Scottish Women’s Football this season, with Spartans in third spot and second-placed Glasgow City also in the race for the title.

The game at Spartans Academy attracted a good turnout of fans and the atmosphere was electric from the start with a finish that just about blew the fuses of the respective coaches on the sidelines at Spartans’ glorious FieldTurf pitch. In a thumping start to the game, these two top women’s sides played superb football and the attacks on both goals gave the spectators plenty to shout about and there, certainly, was a lot of that with physical challenges resulting in players needing treatment. It was high-class football with the time added on for all the stoppages during this exciting game playing an important part in deciding the final outcome! It was Celtic who managed to break the deadlock in the 31^st minute in a good move that saw Pauline Hammill turn a perfect little pass inside for Leanne Crichton to send a clever lofted shot over Spartans keeper, Marie Hourihan, in to the net just under the crossbar to put the Glasgow side 1-0 up.

Spartans were on the back foot for a while after losing that goal but they managed to lift themselves and Diana Barry, who made her international debut for Scotland last week, fired in a shot that went just over the Celtic crossbar but the league leaders went in at the break leading by that one goal. While it was a great first half of brilliant football, the second stage was one that everyone at Spartans’ Academy will remember for a long time - with five stunning goals to celebrate and a finish that no-one could possibly have made up! Reality, certainly, is stranger than fiction and this game proved that with the most amazing finish!

The equaliser came in the 55^th minute when Barry got her head to a cross from the right to nod the ball over the Celtic goal-line to square the game at 1-1. Bedlam reigned as the Spartans players engulfed the goal-scorer, but the Capital side were brought back down to earh in the 60^th minute when Hamill took advantage of poor defending in the Spartans rearguard to float a beautifully-judged shot over Hourihan to put Celtic back in front at 2-1. Players went down all over the pitch as the intensity of the tackles increased but referee, Matilde Peace, kept good control of the game. It was an absolute thriller of a women’s premier division clash and big Claire Johnstone in the Celtic goal was superb in stopping several testing shots at her goal as Spartans threw everything at her in a bid to get back on level terms. It was great to watch these two sides in action and the quality of play from both sets of players was amazing. Barry continued to show up well in Spartans attacks, but the Edinburgh side looked to be struggling as the game progressed and the strong Celtic defence, with Jennifer Beattie, the daughter of BBC rugby correspondent, John Beattie, another star for the Glasgow side.

Spartans wasted several good chances to put pressure on the Celtic goal from free-kicks in good positions but Celtic were very lucky, indeed, to survive when a spell-binding shot from Julie Melrose smashed down off the underside of Johnstone’s crossbar and the ball was eventually cleared. But not for long, as Spartans upped the pressure and Barry showed wonderful skill on the right of the 18yd box to get the better of a couple of Celtic defenders before sending over a perfect ball to the far post for Melrose to head the ball in to the net and square the game at 2-2. That goal came in the 85^th minute and it was that goal that sparked off the amazing finish to this wonderful game.

Two minutes later, Spartans went ahead for the first time and it was Barry who set up the goal again with a great ball in from the left this time for the hard-working and talented Debbie McWhinnie to blast the ball past Johnstone and put Spartans 3-2 in front. What a goal that was and it looked to be the winner with Celtic were heading for defeat, but this very good Glasgow combine got over that shock and delivered their own great sucker punch in the 94^th minute when they produced a last-gasp effort that saw them hammer away at the Spartans goal. Hourihan was all over the place and she did exceptionally well to block two net-bound shots and give away a corner. When the ball was delivered from the left in to the home goalmouth, Houlihan was the hero again with two fabulous saves, but Suzanne Malone managed to force the ball over the line from close in to make the final result 3-3.

This game was the best I have seen in women’s football and both teams are still in the running to win the title. Celtic play second-placed Glasgow City next Sunday and Spartans will await the result of that game with great interest. It is all to play for as the league builds up to a great climax and Spartans faced another tough test in their Unite Scottish Cup semi-final with Rangers at Toryglen Sports Centre in Glasgow on Thursday, April 16.

Spartans - Marie Houlihan, Michelle Faughnan, Siobhan Rooney, Claire Crosbie, Michelle Kerr, Danielle Pagliarulo, Hayler Lauder, Diana Barry,

Molly McKean, Debbie McWhinnie, Sarah Archibald, Patricia McLaughlin, Julie Melrose, Kate McGillivray, Louise Young, Louise Moultray.

Celtic - Claire Johnstone, Lauren McMillan, Jacqueline Quigg, Jennifer Beattie, Karen Penglase, Joanne Love, Rebecca Stokes, Pauline Hammill,

Suzanne Malone, Karen McInally, Jaqui Seagrave, Donna James, Christine Murray, Leanne Crichton, Suzanne Robertson, Julie Ferguson.

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Ladies In Capital Thriller

By Mandy Mair

CELTIC Ladies scored a dramatic injury-time goal for a share of the points against championship rivals, Spartans, in a sensational six-goal thriller that was a fantastic advert for Scottish women’s Football.

Substitute Suzanne Malone scored the vital goal which keeps the Hoops at the Premier League summit going into next week’s derby match with second-placed Glasgow City.

The Celts started sprightly and got the reward for their early pressure just after the half-hour mark, when Leanne Crichton opened the scoring for the visitors.

Christie Murray latched onto a loose ball and acrobatically volleyed it into the path of Crichton, who showed great technique and awareness to lob Spartans’ debutant keeper, Marie Hourihan, from outside the box.

The home side responded well, but failed to trouble Claire Johnstone in the Celtic goal and the Hoops almost doubled their lead on the counter.

Pauline Hamill collected a flick-on from strike partner, Murray, before setting up Jo Love. And the Scotland midfielder forced a decent save from Hourihan, on trial from Chelsea, which kept the Edinburgh side in the match at the interval.

Spartans came out fired-up after the break and pressed for an equaliser, which they found through striker, Diana Barry, after the Hoops failed to clear a Spartans’ corner.

But with half-an-hour left to play, the Celts responded well and Lauren MacMillan supplied a superb pass to Hamill, who put them back in front with another chip over Hourihan.

Celtic then rode their luck for a bit as Debbie McWhinnie and Barry went close again and Julie Melrose struck the underside of the bar for the home side.

Melrose made no mistake moments later, however, when she latched on to a cross to fire in the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining.

An enthralling match of end-to-end football unfolded as both sides, who had put so much into the game, looked for the winner. Straight from the re-start the Hoops forced a succession of saves from Hourihan, a definite contender for player of the match.

Murray beat the keeper only to watch her effort rebound off the upright, before Hamill forced an excellent save with a dipping volley from the angle, and the keeper then denied Malone from close range to keep the match level.

Celtic were dealt a sucker-punch as McWhinnie slid in her side’s third of the afternoon late in the match, for what looked like the winner.

But the table-topping Celts refused to accept defeat and showed great character to bounce back.
Malone forced a corner after another good save from Hourihan, but the keeper could do nothing as the Celtic forward fired the ball high into the net, deep in injury-time to level the score at 3-3 secure a crucial point.

There was more drama when Crichton was up-ended in the box by a clumsy challenge from Danielle Pagliarulo, but the referee waived away the appeals for a penalty before bringing proceedings to an end.

After the match, Celtic Ladies’ Coach, Robert Docherty, said: “Spartans are a very good outfit with some excellent players, so I thought we did well to come here and look, at one stage, like we were going to get all three points.

“The team did well in certain parts of the game and, to their credit, got themselves back into it. To go 3-2 down with minutes remaining and show the character and belief to come back was excellent and we’re proud of them."

Spartans Ladies Rue Lost Chance To Topple Leaders Celtic In Dramatic Draw

Ladies In Capital Thriller