HIBERNIAN and Glasgow City will contest their fourth successive domestic final next month after both recorded big wins in their SSE Scottish Women’s Cup semi-finals at Ainslie Park.
Hearts at least made a contest of it in the noon kick-off, with Hibs only 1-0 up at half-time before eventually winning 5-0. In the second semi-final, a goalkeeping crisis forced Glasgow Girls to field an outfield player between the posts and the score was 5-0 to City after just 28 minutes. They went on to win 9-0.
The wisdom of reducing the top tier of Scottish women’s football to eight teams this season was all too evident.
Hibs and City started the semi-finals without most of their Scotland players – there is a game against Netherlands at Livingston on Thursday night – yet still won easily against sides who are second and third in SWPL2.
Hibs, who had Joelle Murray, Kirsty Smith and Lizzie Arnot on the bench, dominated the possession and attempts on goal against Hearts, although all they had to show for it was a Rachel McLauchlan goal, who scored from close range on 35 minutes, after earlier having a header cleared off the line.
Chris Roberts introduced his three internationals, and another first-team player Lucy Graham, after the interval. Arnot scored a hat-trick and Smith’s pace down the left was also a telling factor.
Arnot’s first came from the penalty spot on 56 minutes after Cailin Michie was fouled in the box. Sarah Ewens provided the assist for her second 20 minutes later and Arnot’s third was the pick of the bunch – a well-struck shot into the corner of the net. Hearts lost a fifth goal near the end when Ewens got a reward for her afternoon’s work.
Arnot’s hat-trick brought her total to 23 for the season.
Scott Booth left out seven City players who started in the Champions League on Thursday night, including captain Leanne Ross, Jo Love and goalkeeper Gemma Fay, but his young side were far too good for Glasgow Girls.
Carla Boyce opened the scoring within the opening two minutes and after that, the goals rained in regularly throughout the first half. Clare Shine scored three, Sarah Crilly two and Boyce bagged a second to make the half-time score 7-0.
Booth gave opportunities to further fringe players after the interval and as the tempo dropped, Crilly took her tally to four and City’s to nine.
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