Stirling University WFC 2-4 Hamilton Academical WFC

SWPL 2

Sunday, 13^th December 2020, Kick Off 2PM

 

Hamilton made it three wins in a row with a hard-fought win away at rain-drenched Stirling University.

Josephine Giard continued her fine vein of form, grabbing her fourth and fifth goals for the club on just her third start while Dionne Brown and Chloe Muir were also in among the goals.

Ben McNicol reports…  

The conditions were nothing short of horrendous, but the continual downpour of rain certainly didn’t stop an exciting start to the game.

Accies came into this game off the back of a 7-0 thrashing of the hosts just two weeks ago and it didn’t take long to break the deadlock as Hamilton were ahead after four minutes.

Kirstie McIntosh’s perfectly placed pass split the Uni’s defence open and Giard latched on, rounded the outcoming Claire Whitaker and finished into the empty net.

However, two minutes later the home side were level as Alina Kerl’s strike from distance flew over the head of Lauren Grant.

Hamilton restored their advantage on the 10^th minute through what was another excellently worked move. Darcy Molley picked up the ball on the half-way line and her ball over the top found Dionne Brown and her deft dink left the helpless Whitaker.

It was nearly three shortly after when Nic Sturrock’s strike brought a fantastic save out of substitute keeper Jasmine McPhie.

Conditions took a turn for the worse and unfortunately for Accies played a part in the home side’s equaliser ten minutes before the break. Robin Gallagher’s initial effort looked easy enough to catch for Grant, but the ball slipped out of her grasp and Ann Taylor was on hand to prod home the rebound from close-range.

The second half produced very little in terms of goalmouth action, but a tactical masterclass by the Accies management team paid dividends as substitutes Chloe Muir and Nicole Cairney changed the game and played an integral role in helping secure three huge points.

On the 77^th minute, Cairney’s switch across the park looked destined to find the head of Muir before she was brought down by keeper McPhie, giving the referee no other option than to point to the spot.

Giard was handed the responsibility from 12-yards following Amy Anderson’s absence and she made no mistake with an ice-cool finish into the top right-hand corner.

The game was put beyond doubt with a couple of minutes remaining when another well-worked move down the right saw Muir go through on goal and her effort went over McPhie and into the back of the net, wrapping up a very important three points for the Accies.

 

Hamilton: Grant, Quinn, Connolly, Ross, McIntosh, Brown, Sturrock, Kane, Molley, Gardiner, Giard

 

Subs: McTear, Muir, Evans, Cairney, Quigley, Coakley, McCormick

 

Stirling University: Whitaker, Murphy, McMahon, Blues, Taylor, Sanchez, Dickov, Fellenger, Gallagher, Kerl, MacPhail

Subs: McPhie, Robertson, Malcom, Watson, Hill, Szigeti