Hearts 4 Aberdeen Women 0
Scottish Power Women’s Premier League
Sunday 11th February 2024 – 15:00
The Oriam
Aberdeen went down by four goals to nil on the road as Hearts picked up all three points at Oriam. The scoreline was harsh on the Dons who played a lot of good football but goals from Lizzie Waldie and Jenna Penman in the first half were added to by a double in the second for substitute Danni McGinley.
There were two changes to the Dons starting line-up from Wednesday’s win over Montrose. Keira MacPherson and Darcie Miller dropped out and were replaced by Hannah Innes and Eva Thomson.
Hearts were the first to threaten when Georgia Timms went down the right wing and fired over a dangerous cross which Jeni Currie did well to claim.
The opening fifteen minutes were spent in the middle of the park for the most part as neither side managed to threaten the opposition goal. When a chance finally came along it was for the hosts 16 minutes in. Good play down the right involving Timms and Emma Brownlie ended in a cross which Olufolasade Adamolekun fired straight at Currie.
Aberdeen’s first chance came on twenty minutes when a brilliant ball over the top by Hannah Stewart found Bayley Hutchison in behind the Hearts defence. The striker carried the ball into the box and tried to cut back on to her right foot which took the pace out of the attack which eventually fizzled out.
The hosts went in front just before the half-hour mark. An in-swinging corner from the Hearts left arrived at the near post where Lizzie WALDIE got her head on it to flick it beyond Currie in the Dons goal.
Hearts were buoyed by their goal and doubled their lead within ten minutes of the opener. A good passing move in the centre of the pitch culminated in former Aberdeen player Jenna PENMAN sending a low drive into the bottom corner.
The hosts had two chances to score right on the stroke of half-time and both chances fell to Timms. The first was a header from a Grant corner which flashed just wide before she then forced Currie into a good stop with a shot from inside the box.
HT: HEARTS 2 ABERDEEN 0
The Dons made a change at the interval as Darcie Miller replaced Adele Lindbaek. It was the visitors who were first to register an attempt on goal in the second period when Shore did well to rob Grant in the middle of the park and find Hutchison who tested Charlotte Parker-Smith from distance.
At the other end Currie was called into action as she came off her line to dive at the feet of Mooney, Banfield then did well to clear the danger from the rebound. Currie then pulled off an even better stop moments later when Ademolekun went through the middle and the keeper made a brilliant one-handed save.
Miller was full of endeavour since coming on and she did brilliantly to carve out a chance for herself as she turned smartly in the box before firing a shot just over the bar.
The home side went 3-0 up on 67 minutes as a set-piece again did the damage. Grant’s corner from the Hearts left was kept alive in the area before being hooked home by Danni MCGINLEY who had just came off the bench.
Aberdeen were forced into a third change when Madison Finnie pulled up with an injury and was replaced by Aimee Black.
Miller brought out a brilliant save from Parker-Smith as Aberdeen went close to what would’ve been a deserved goal for their second half performance. Not to be out-done Currie again came to the rescue with a brilliant diving save to prevent Hearts scoring on a counter-attack.
Aberdeen made their final two changes late on as Amilie Martindale and Emma Lawson came on to replace Stewart and Innes.
Hearts scored a fourth deep in stoppage time when MCGINLEY grabbed her second thanks to a huge deflection. It was harsh on the visitors who had played really well in spells but the hosts were clinical in front of goal.
FT: HEARTS 4 ABERDEEN 0
STATS
Hearts: Parker-Smith, Penman, Brownlie, Hunter, Grant, Timms, Waldie, Adamolekum, Mooney, Bell, Girasoli
Subs: Rennie, Handley, Findlay, Michie, E. Husband, J. Husband
Aberdeen: Currie, Shore, Gover, Stewart (C) (Martindale 86′), Hutchison (Murray 68′), Lindbaek (Miller 46′), Ogilive, Finnie (Black 73′ ), Innes (Lawson 86′), Banfield, Thomson
Subs not used: McCann, Maclean, Macpherson
