Motherwell FC Women 3 Aberdeen FC Women 0 ScottishPower Women’s Premier League K-Park 31st March 2024 | 16:00
Aberdeen crashed to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to in-form Motherwell as the gap between sixth and seventh was narrowed at K-Park.
The Dons were barely ever in the game in truth as the hosts bettered them all over the park with Laura Berry picking up a double after Morgan Cross had opened the scoring. A bright point from the Dons performance was that of young Darcie Miller who was unlucky not grab herself a goal late on and fellow youngster Phoebe Murray who both improved the team when they came off the bench.
There was one change to Clint Lancaster’s starting line-up with Lois Edwards returning from injury to replace Jessica Broadrick.
Motherwell started the game brightly with Morgan Cross testing Jen Currie in the Aberdeen goal in the opening minute. Dons’ top scorer Bayley Hutchison then went close for the visitors when she clipped the top of the crossbar with a shot on the run.
It was the home side that took an early lead in just five minutes. CROSS was played in through the centre of the Aberdeen defence and the ‘Well forward slid the ball past Currie for the opener.
Motherwell were taking the game to a lethargic Dons side, and they almost doubled their lead on the fifteen-minute mark as Katie Rice cut in from the left and sent a curling effort just wide of the post.
The visitors hit the woodwork again as they almost grabbed an equaliser on the break. Francesca Ogilvie did well to defend a Motherwell corner before bursting clear down the right and releasing Hutchison on the opposite flank. The striker cut in on her right foot but saw her shot come back off the post.
The hosts doubled their lead on 28-minutes, and it was all too easy. Louisa Boyes skipped her way through the Aberdeen box almost unchallenged before rolling a pass to Laura BERRY who had the simplest of tasks to roll home unmarked from 8-yards.
Aberdeen were struggling to get anything going but Adele Lindbaek created a chance for herself as she drove forward and curled a long-range shot wide. Currie then saved well at the other end as the hosts threatened to move out of sight.
Clint Lancaster never waited until half-time to shuffle his pack as he made a double change five minutes before the interval. Phoebe Murray and Eva Thomson were thrown on in place of Innes and Edwards.
Aberdeen hit the woodwork for a third time right on the stroke of half-time. Hutchison again was the threat as her shot from the edge of the box was touched onto the bar by the fingertips of Mutch.
HT: MOTHERWELL 2 ABERDEEN 0
The Dons looked livelier as the second half began but it was Motherwell who had the first real sight of goal. Brooke Nunn testing Currie from the left angle of the box with the keeper coming out on top.
Thomson then tried her luck for the visitors as she burst forward in the centre of the pitch before sending a bouncing shot into the arms of Mutch in the home goal. Darcie Miller was thrown on as Aberdeen continued to search for a way back into the game, Lindbaek making way for the young striker.
Motherwell got a third on 67-minutes as Berry doubled her tally for the afternoon. The visitors gave away possession 30-yards from their own goal leading to a shot on goal which was brilliantly stopped by Currie only for the Rangers’ loanee BERRY to knock home the rebound.
Aberdeen had the ball in the net with eighteen minutes to go but they were denied by the linesman’s flag. Eilidh Shore released Stewart down the left and her first-time centre found Hutchison who knocked the ball in as the flag went up.
Hutchison made way for Emma Lawson with seven minutes left on the clock but there looked little sign of any kind of consolation for the visitors. When a half-chance did come it fell to substitute Miller who did everything right in shooting across Mutch, but the keeper did well to keep the effort out. Miller almost scored again as time ran out but her shot flew just wide of Mutch’s left-hand post.
FT: MOTHERWELL 3 ABERDEEN 0
Aberdeen: Currie, Edwards (Murray 40′), Shore, Gover, Stewart (C), Hutchison (Lawson 83′), Lindbaek (Miller 58′), Ogilivie, Finnie, Innes (Thomson 40′), Banfield
Subs not used: McCann, Maclean, Martindale, Black, Macpherson
Motherwell: Mutch, Addie, Watson, Cummingham, Inglis, Nunn, Anderson, Rice, Berry, Cross, Boyes
Subs: Cameron, Donald, Jardine, Martin, Collins, Gibb, McCartney, Cairns, Petherick
