Hibernian FC Women 5 | Baucom 22′, 56”, 66′ (Pen) ; McGregor 71′; Nunn 79′
Aberdeen FC Women 0 | Finnie sent off 66′
ScottishPower Women’s Premier League | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh | 7.30pm | Full Time | HT 1-0
MATCH REPORT
Aberdeen fell to defeat in the Scottish Power Women’s Premier League as Hibernian took advantage of a Madison Finnie red card and an injury to Dons keeper Faye Kirby to run out 5-0 winners on a miserable night in the capital. Kirby was forced off with an injury picked up trying to prevent the second Hibs goal whilst Finnie was ordered off after conceding a penalty which led to the third goal and a hat-trick for Jorian Baucom.
There were two changes to Clinton Lancaster’s Aberdeen side from the team that beat Hamilton 4-0 at the weekend. Hannah Innes and Aimee Black moved on to the substitutes bench with Jessica Broadrick and Laura Holden coming into the starting line-up.
The visitors made a positive start in the driving rain and some good work by Nadine Hanssen after six minutes set up Bayley Hutchison for a shot on goal which was well held by Hibs goalkeeper Katlynn Fraine.
At the other end Jorian Baucom was the first Hibee to try her luck as she sent in a powerful shot which Faye Kirby did well to field as it skipped up off the wet surface. Francesca Ogilvie then brought out a save from Fraine when she shot low from a tight angle after being rolled in by Hutchison.
Ogilvie had an even better chance to score inside the first fifteen minutes when she took advantage of some slack play by the hosts, but she pulled her shot wide of the far post as she ran through on Fraine’s goal.
It was an open start to the match with both sides looking to attack and the Dons again came close to the opening goal. Some good play by Eilidh Shore and Laura Holden saw the ball eventually reach Hutchison on the left of the area, but she saw he powerful near post effort well saved by Fraine.
The Dons continued to pose a threat and they were having particular joy down the left side Ogilvie and Hutchison combined before the latter forced another save out of Fraine.
It was the home side who went in front on 22 minutes against the run of play. Abbie Ferguson broke into space with the ball on the Hibs right before squaring to BAUCOM who calmly rolled her finish into the bottom corner for 1-0.
Aberdeen boss Lancaster was forced into a change after half an hour when Holden was forced off with an injury, she was replaced by Hannah Innes. Just seconds later a great defensive header by Shore prevented Baucom getting on the end of a cross into the penalty box.
Ferguson again threatened down the right as she nipped in ahead of Chloe Gover and pulled the ball back to the penalty spot where Shore was waiting to clear the danger. Hibs were clearly buoyed by the goal and were the better side as half-time approached with Baucom at the centre of most of their good work.
The heavy rain had been unrelenting for the entire half and players on both sides must have been somewhat relieved when the referee blew for half-time so they could get a brief respite from the weather.
HT: HIBERNIAN 1-0 ABERDEEN
Ferguson had been a threat for the hosts as the first half wore on and she started the second in the same vein. The Hibs wide player sprinted away down the right in the opening minutes of the half with Broadrick doing well to clear the ball into the box. Kirby was then called into action as she did well to gather a Naomi Powell effort on goal.
Hibs doubled their lead on 56 minutes as the Dons lost an unfortunate goal. A mix-up at the back saw Madison Finnie’s back pass skip past Kirby and as the keeper raced back to try and keep the ball out BAUCOM slid in to force the ball over the line. The goal came with an added blow as Kirby was forced off with an injury picked up as she tried to prevent the ball going in and she couldn’t continue. She was replaced by Annalisa McCann whilst Phoebe Murray also entered the match to replace Eva Thomson.
Hibernian were awarded a penalty on 66 minutes as Finnie was adjudged to have brought down Baucom as she broke into the box. The referee sent off the Dons defender after awarding the spot kick which was duly converted by BAUCOM for her hat-trick.
Things got worse for the ten players of Aberdeen as Hibs put their foot on the gas as they made their numerical advantage count. Shannon Leishman had already gone close with a shot wide before her namesake MCGREGOR expertly lobbed McCann for her side’s fourth of the game.
Aimee Black was introduced in place of Ogilvie as the visitors looked to replace the defender they had lost through the sending off.
The eleven players of Hibs went further in front as one their second half substitutes got on the scoresheet. McCann looked like she had made a decent save from a powerful Eilidh Adams shot, but the ball dropped int the six-yard box and Brooke NUNN smashed it in from close range.
Aberdeen battled on with a player short as they looked for a consolation, Hannah Stewart had a shot blocked in the penalty area as the game entered its final ten minutes. It wasn’t to be though as the referee brought an end to a difficult night at Meadowbank Stadium.
FT: HIBERNIAN 5-0 ABERDEEN
TEAM NEWS
Aberdeen team | Kirby (McCann 57′) , Broadrick, Holden (Innes, 30′), Shore, Gover, Stewart, Hutchison, Ogilvie (Black 75′), Finnie, Thomson (Murray 57′), Hanssen (c)
Substitutes | Insch, Miller, Lawson & Black
Hibernian | Fraine, Leishman, Baucom, Eddie, Ferguson, McGregor (c), Notley, Doran- Barr, Bowie, Powell, Lawson
Substitutes | Wilson, Christie, Hunter, McAlonie, Adams, Murray, Livingstone, Nunn
