Dons defeated at Accies in penultimate match

Hamilton Academical Women FC 2 | Sinclair 53′; Martin 68′

AFC Women 1 | Shore 77′ (Broadrick sent off, 6′)

FT | New Douglas Park, Hamilton | Park’s Motor Group SWPL1 | Kick off – 4pm | HT 0-0

MATCH REPORT by Mark Gordon

Aberdeen were unable to overcome a numerical advantage as they lost 2-1 to Hamilton after having a player sent off after just six minutes. Jessica Broadrick’s early red card saw the Dons go down to ten players with over eighty minutes left to play. The hosts went 2-0 up through Lucy Sinclair and Eilidh Martin goals in the second half before Eilidh Shore pulled one back for Aberdeen.

There were three changes to the Dons line-up that beat Dundee United in midweek. Chloe Gover, Bailley Collins and Eva Thomson coming in for Millie Urquhart, Hannah Stewart and Mya Christie who were all amongst the substitutes.

Aberdeen had made a positive start to the game but they were given an uphill battle by what seemed a harsh sending off. Accies were on the counter when Jess Broadrick found herself one-on-one with Kirstie McIntosh 30-yards from goal. The Accies player looked to have pulled back the Dons defender before Broadrick returned the favour. The referee decided it was a foul by the young centre-half and he had no option having given the free-kick, to send the Aberdeen player off.

The hosts had an opportunity to take the lead from the resulting free-kick but Annalisa McCann pulled off a great save from Rachel Ross’ powerful effort. The visitors rallied well from the early setback as they looked to go on the attack themselves. Ogilvie did well to break from midfield and saw her through ball to Thomson cut out by Accies keeper Chloe Nicolson.

It was the hosts who carved out the first clear chance of the match just before the half-hour mark. Josi Giard went down the right before cutting inside and firing in a shot which was deflected just wide of the target.

At the other end Bayley Hutchison spun away from her marker on the left side of the penalty area before seeing her low shot tipped round the post by Nicolson. At the other end there were loud appeals from the home sidelines when Donna Paterson appeared to pull an Accies player in the box, luckily for the Dons nothing was given.

The hosts pushed on looking for the opener as the half got into its latter stages but the ten players in red stood firm and went into the break goalless.

HT: HAMILTON ACADEMICAL 0-0 ABERDEEN

There was a change at the break for Aberdeen as Chloe Gover was replaced by Aimee Black. It was Black who had the first attempt of the half as she got on the end of a corner but turned the ball wide at the near post.

Aberdeen had started the half looking the better side, Loren Campbell had a shot blocked in the box. It was the hosts who broke the deadlock eight minutes into the half when Lucy SINCLAIR turned in a cross from close range.

There was an almost instant response from the visitors as Bailley Collins made space for herself in the box but Nicolson did brilliantly to save the midfielder’s low shot at the near post.

Annalisa McCann kept the Dons in the game with an important stop just after the hour. Giard got away from Black as Hamilton countered and the striker found herself clean through on the Aberdeen goal but McCann did well to narrow the angles and save Giard’s low shot.

The visiting keeper was beaten for a second time on 68-minutes. A deep cross into the box found Eilidh MARTIN at the back post and she forced the ball home from close range.

Aberdeen continued to look for a way back into the game, Hutchison’s cross from the right nearly found Ogilvie in the box and the loose ball almost fell for Collins. At the other end Accies substitute Gardiner ended a powerful run down the left with a low cross which flashed across McCann’s goalmouth.

The Dons got themselves on the scoresheet on 77-minutes. A Hutchison free-kick from wide on the right found Eilidh SHORE completely unmarked in the box and the midfielder calmy side-footed home her sixth goal of the season.

The goal gave the visitors renewed hope of taking something from the game and they pushed for an equaliser as the game entered its final ten minutes. A good passing move culminated in Thomson sending a snap-shot over the bar from inside the penalty box.

The ten players ran out of steam in the closing minutes as they were unable to create any further opportunities to equalise as the hosts took the three points.

FT: HAMILTON ACADEMICAL 2-1 ABERDEEN

REACTION- Donna Paterson

“We started really well despite the early sending off. I thought we regrouped well but I think having a player less has taken its toll. We did what we needed to do on Wednesday but there was maybe a bit of complacency because of that. I think it’s an easy excuse that we were tired after midweek, we all know the tightness of the schedule and we’ve come down here with a squad so if tiredness was an issue, we could have made changes. We’ll go again on Sunday and try and keep our place in ninth. The red card had a big impact and I though Jess was really hard done by. She was fouled first and then had to foul their player to make up the ground she lost. It was harsh on Jess and its left us over eighty minutes to play with a player short.”