GLASGOW City responded impressively to Thursday night’s Champions League disappointment by beating Celtic 4-0 in windy conditions at Petershill Park. Elsewhere, Hibs kept the pressure on with a 7-2 win at Aberdeen in head coach Chris Roberts’ last game in charge.
Rangers and Stirling University also won, but the happiest club were Forfar Farmington. Relegated last season, they bounced straight back into SWPL1 with a 5-1 win over nearest challengers Motherwell and also won the league with three games to spare.
City took just four minutes to open the scoring, and ironically it was through a Leanne Ross penalty after Abbi Grant had been brought down in the box. The captain hit the post at the same end on Thursday when a goal would have put her side into the last 16 – but this time she buried the spot kick, again into the same corner.
The champions showed remarkably energy levels given how much they had put into the tie against Kazygurt less than 72 hours earlier and their other three goals were all high quality. Noelle Murray and Grant finished off good team moves before Leanne Crichton rounded off the scoring with a powerful strike midway through the second half.
“That was one of the most professional performances we have given since I came to the club,” head coach Scott Booth confirmed. “The experienced players made a big difference today. They kept things calm at the right times and helped us manage the game brilliantly.”
Celtic manager David Haley said: “I said to the players at half time they didn’t do an awful lot wrong. We were hoping to get a good start to the second half, but we conceded a sloppy goal.”
Aberdeen have now played 17 league games without a win, but gave Hibs a tough first half at Heathryfold Park. Abi Harrison put the visitors ahead after just two minutes, but the home side quickly equalised. Harrison scored her second and Lucy Graham added another, but Aberdeen came back again to make it just 3-2 at half time.
Aberdeen’s resistance crumbled after half time with skipper Joelle Murray, Cailin Michie, Amy Gallacher and Rachael McLauchlan giving Roberts an emphatic send off.
Rangers were 2-0 down at Spartans but continued their revival under Amy McDonald with three goals in 21 second half minutes. There was a goal and an assist for former Glasgow City player Brogan Hay, who came on in the first half to make her debut.
Stirling beat Hamilton 1-0.
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