Aberdeen 0-3 Glasgow City SWPL1 Sunday 23 August Balmoral Stadium

Aberdeen Women fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Glasgow City on Sunday afternoon at Balmoral Stadium.

There were four changes to the side that lost 6-0 at Hearts on the opening day.

Dropping out were Briana Salvetti, Lola Nesbeth, Piper Lea and Erin Carrol, with Melissa Regmi, Iona Watt, Millie Buchan and Emily Simpson introduced in their place.

The three summer signings were missing entirely, with Carrol dropping to a light Dons bench that featured just five outfielders. Young ‘keeper Emilie Sim was named in the squad for the first time.

City lost 2-1 at home to Celtic in their opener last week and they also opted for a quadruple swap – Clachers, Seaby, Maata, and Primmer in, Gibson, Whelan, Gray and Evans out.

Brady opened the scoring for City after 15’, heading home Forrest’s cross.

The Dons had done well until this point, and although it was the visitors dominating possession, Aberdeen were limiting the away side to little of note.

Watt very nearly picked out the run of Soraya Walsh who looked like she would have been clean through on goal on 19’, her ball just a little bit too powerful.

Aberdeen’s injury woes continued not long after, Walsh forced off after going down earlier in the game, Carrol introduced.

The Dons continued to largely frustrate their visitors as the first 45 went deeper, O’Hanlon untested despite the amount of Glasgow City possession.

The on-loan West Ham stopper was called into action before the end of the half, making an outstanding double stop from a City free-kick, saving both the initial effort and Muir’s follow up from close range.

The injury concerns continued to get worse before the half was up with Aimee Black, who had impressed throughout the next to make way, again unable to shake off a knock after trying to continue. Olivia Reid on her place.

Half-time: Aberdeen 0-1 Glasgow City.

Not pleased with the efforts of the opening 45, Leanne Ross introduced Whelan and Gray at the interval for City, Lauder and Seaby making way.

O’Hanlon was called into action early in the second half, making an exceptional diving stop to deny a City second. Brady struck the crossbar a minute later, another header.

2-0 on 53’, The substitute Gray tapping in from a yard out after getting on the end of Forrest’s squared ball across the face of the goal.

It really could have and perhaps should have been three not long after, Whelan, with just O’Hanlon to beat, fired wildly high from inside the box on the half volley.

A third enforced change on the hour, Lexie Colquhoun on to replace Emily Simpson.

Maata and Brady were next to go close to finding the net, O’Hanlon again able to do enough to deny.

O’Hanlon again on 78’, this time an exceptional show of her reactions to deny Forrest with her foot from close range.

There was time for one more before full-time. Koytk struck the bar from the best part of 40-yards, before McLaughlin added the third a couple of minutes later.

Full-time Aberdeen 0-3 Glasgow City.

Reaction from Nathan Flight

"I am happy with the team’s performance. I think we showed the commitment to a defensive game plan. I think we helped each other. I think we encouraged each other, motivated each other through the whole game.

"We put our bodies on the line to stop shots, to stop crosses, to defend the goal with all that we had.

"I think we used the ball pretty well in the first half. I think it needs to be better if we’re going to really take the steps that we want to do, but I think we showed that we could play away from the pressure, which was good, and I think there was a number of good individual performances as well across the team. "We’ve got a lot of good football players, but I think today they showed that other side of the game that’s necessary if you’re going to be successful and you’re going to pick up points. We showed a commitment and we showed a desire to go and do the not-so-nice side of the game, where you need to block, you need to mark, you need to defend. "I think it’s really pleasing to see that such a young group has taken all that information so quickly, especially in comparison to last weekend. "They’ve added a level of quality to the defence and the goal (Katie O'Hanlon and Selin Cemal). I think they’ve also come in and been fantastic personalities in the group where, even though they’re young players themselves, they’re helping the younger players, they’re helping to boost the individual performance as well.

"I don’t know how many crosses that Sel kept out through her positioning, through her desire, through her quality of clearing the ball which was really good. And Katie has made a number of good saves, the second half in particular. I thought she was excellent.

"But they definitely add a level of quality to us which we didn’t have previously. "I’d like to hope they’re short-term injuries and hopefully can return to training soon. But the injury situation isn’t fantastic when you’re missing five or six starting players and first-team players. It’s tough.

"But we’ve got a good squad and a good group who are able to come in and to do the job in a really good way as well, so hopefully we can get some of those players back on the training pitch this week and be available for the Partick Thistle game next weekend. "It’s the games against the Partick Thistle's, The Spartans, that will define our season.

"I think now it’s about how we can use the ball in a better way, how we can create chances, because that’s been the struggle in the first two games, which isn’t a massive surprise in some ways.

"We went away to the champions, and we played Glasgow City, who are a top team as well. So it’s about how we can use the ball better, how we can create more chances, and then ultimately take those chances when they come along."

STATS

Aberdeen: 1. Katie O’Hanlon, 5. Aimee Black (Reid 45+1’), 10. Soraya Walsh (Carrol 24’), 11. Holly Daniel, 15. Maddie Finnie C, 17. Melissa Regmi, 21. Millie Buchan, 22. Iona Watt, 24. Emily Simpson (Colquhoun 61’), 32. Piper Mayhew, 43. Selin Cemal

Substitutes: 35. Emilie Sim, 6. Erin Carrol, 25. Tyler Ferguson, 27. Iona Hoyle, 28. Olivia Reid, 33. Lexie Colquhoun

YELLOW CARD: Buchan 48’

Glasgow City: 25. Erin Clachers, 3. Amy Muir C, 4. Hayley Lauder, 7. Lisa Forrest, 8. Ruby Seaby, 14. Amy Anderson, 16. Jesi Rossman, 18. Kelly Brady, 21. Sofia Maata, 22. Tia Primmer, 24. Emma Brownlie

Substitutes: 29. Lee Gibson, 2. Yana Koytk, 6. Erin McLaughlin, 9. Abi Harrison, 11. Emily Whelan, 17. Lisa Evans, 23. Emily Gray, 28. Louisa Boyes, 30. Sophia Martin