Dons come from behind to advance in cup

Boroughmuir Thistle FC Women 1 Aberdeen FC Women 3 Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup Third round Sunday 7th January 2024 – 12:15 Meadowbank Stadium

Aberdeen booked their place in the next round of the Scottish Cup as they came from a goal down at half-time to beat Boroughmuir Thistle 3-1 at Meadowbank. The hosts led through an Emily Arthur goal but second half strikes from Bayley Hutchison, Hannah Innes and a Hannah Stewart penalty made sure the Dons were in the hat for the next round draw.

All three of Clinton Lancaster’s January signings were in the starting line-up with Jennifer Currie replacing Annalisa McCann in goals, Lois Edwards taking up position in defence and Keeley Banfield starting in midfield.

The hosts made a good start to the game and Aberdeen never got a sight of goal until eight minutes in. A quick exchange of passes on the edge of the box between Hannah Stewart and Chloe Gover saw the former’s shot from the edge of the box go straight at the keeper.

It was Boroughmuir who were the next to go close as Deborah McLeod had a close range shot blocked, right in front of the Dons goal. Stewart then had the ball in the net for the visitors, but her attempt was ruled out as she had strayed offside before getting on the end of Bayley Hutchison’s pass.

The home side went in front in 22 minutes in contentious fashion. Emily ARTHUR appeared to push Madison Finnie over out on the right, but the officials never gave a foul and the striker cut inside the box and finished well beyond Currie to give her side the lead.

Aberdeen almost got one back immediately, but they were denied by the woodwork. Chloe Gover curled a shot from the angle of the box which came back off the underside of the crossbar.

The Dons created a chance to draw level a few minutes before the break as they finally started to make their possession count. Stewart turned in the middle of the park and released Eva Thomson on the right, but her powerful shot flew just over the bar.

Stewart forced Thistle goalkeeper Beth Rennie into a save in stoppage time at the end of the half when the keeper was forced to stop the striker’s snap-shot. The half ended without any further goalmouth action as the hosts went in one ahead at the interval.

HT: BOROUGHMUIR TH. 1 ABERDEEN 0

There was a double change for the Dons at the break as Hannah Innes and Francesca Ogilvie replaced Emma Lawson and Amelie Martindale.

It was a much improved start to the second half by Aberdeen and Ogilvie almost made an instant impact when her curling effort from the edge of the box shaved the Boroughmuir crossbar.

The Dons continued to look threatening in the early stages of the half as they hit the crossbar for the second time in the match. Eilidh Shore sent Hutchison down the right and the striker checked inside before cutting back to Stewart who rattled her shot off the bar from 12 yards.

Thomson was the next to go close as she burst into the penalty box and saw her goal-bound effort deflected wide for a corner. Thomson was replaced a short time later as Clint Lancaster added another striker to the game in the form of Darcie Miller.

Aberdeen got a deserved equaliser just after the hour mark as they took advantage of their strong start to the half. A good delivery by Innes from a corner caused a scramble in the goalmouth and HUTCHISON appeared to force the ball over the line.

The Dons were forced into another change on 65 minutes when Finnie went off injured, she was replaced by Phoebe Murray.

Aberdeen went in front on 75 minutes as one of the half-time substitutes got themselves on the scoresheet. Constant pressure from the visitors culminated in INNES getting the ball on the right wing and as players queued up in the middle the wide player smashed a right foot shot into the top corner from a narrow angle.

The visitors kept up the pace as they went in search of a third, Miller became the third player to hit the frame of the goal when she clipped the crossbar from a tight angle.

A penalty gave Aberdeen a two-goal cushion in the latter stages of the game. Shore pounced on some slack defending to surge in on goal and as she touched it round Rennie in the home goal, the keeper brought her down. STEWART stepped up from the spot to find the bottom corner for a 3-1 lead.

Aimee Black then replaced skipper Stewart for the final minutes of the game. Innes went looking for her second of the game when she cut in-field a fired in an effort from 25-yards but a deflection took the sting out of the shot and Rennie gathered as the game ended 3-1.