Aberdeen 3-0 Queen’s Park
SWPL 1 Matchweek 19
Sunday 26 January 2025
Aberdeen Women bounced back from their Sky Sports Cup semi-final defeat with a convincing 3-0 home win against Queens Park.
Ellie-May Cowie came into the starting lineup for Holly McEvoy.
Scott Booth’s side performed excellently limiting their opponents to barely any chances. Hannah Stewart and Ellie-May Cowie would steal the show for the home side as they enjoyed stellar displays playing important roles in the opening two goals.
Eva Thomson came on and sealed all three points for the Dons as she made it 3-0 with 20 minutes to go.
The Dons began brightly pinning back the visitors. New signings Finnegan and Iliojski linked up on the left-hand side to earn their side the first dangerous chance of the game as Iliojski was fouled by Hay just outside the penalty area. The resulting free kick was floated into the Queens Park box causing confusion
Minutes later Hay made up for her mistake as she bombed down the right-hand side and whipped in a delicious cross which was begging for any sort of touch from her striker.
Aberdeen grew back into the game starting with Finnegan’s audacious long-range effort which made its way over the bar before enjoying plenty of possession.
Queen’s Park’s best chance of the half came in the 20th minute as Dionne Brown sat down her defender on the edge of the box before laying it off to Abby Callaghan who struck over McCann’s goal.
Both right-wing backs were in the attacking mood today as it was Ellie-May Cowie’s turn to show her dynamism as she nutmegged Millie Paton before driving into the box and squaring the ball to captain Stewart whose attempt was saved by McGregor on the 25-minute mark.
Aberdeen’s best chance of the half would come in the 32nd minute. Stewart dropped deep into the midfield leaving space in behind for Francesca Ogilvie to run into. The midfielder was found by her captain leaving her 1-on-1 with McGregor but struck straight at the on rushing keeper leaving the score level.
Another big chance for the Dons would come minutes later with Cowie heavily involved again initiating intricate short passes down the right flank which cut open the Spider’s backline allowing for a cutback across the face of the goal which was saved again by McGregor.
Kerry Beattie would open the scoring in a similar fashion to the Don’s last chance. Cowie found herself high and wide before sharply cutting inside and squaring it to her striker on the penalty spot who provided a flavoursome curled finish to the keeper’s left in the 42nd minute.
Half time: Aberdeen 1-0 Queens Park
The second half began more intensely than the first with plenty of possession turnovers in the middle of the park. Stewart looked in the mood finding herself in identical situations in quick succession for headed chances both of which couldn’t find the target.
Stewart finally was rewarded for her efforts as she received the ball in the box before a turn gave her plenty of space to unleash a strike into the bottom right corner to double the lead for her side in the 52nd minute.
It was the Hannah Stewart show all second half as on the hour mark dropped into midfield again before turning and playing through her strike partner Kerry Beattie whose powerful shot forced McGregor into an acrobatic save just after the hour mark.
It was Eva Thomson’s turn to get in on the action as she found a room just past the D to shoot. McGregor did get a touch to it however the bounce proved too severe for the Queens Park goalkeeper to keep out on the 70-minute mark.
Rosie Mcquillan would try to make things interesting spotting McCann off her line, but the long-range effort trickled wide of the goal.
Substitute Holly McEvoy was eager to get herself back into the starting eleven as she picked up the ball in the pockets both dictating and creating chances. Her cross would land at the feet of Emily Kraft who shot wide leaving Lauren McGregor irate at her defence getting herself booked for dissent.
Full time: Aberdeen 3-0 Queens Park
STATS:
Aberdeen: McCann, Gover, Stewart, MacPherson (Noble 75), Ogilvie (McEvoy 66), Iliojski (Finnie 75), Thomson, Cowie, Black, Beattie (Kraft 66), Finnegan
Subs: Maclean, Noble, Jamieson, Murray, McEvoy, Finnie, Innes, Kraft, Elder
Queens Park: McGregor, Hay (Macdonald 82), Cunningham, Bonner, Boyce, Callaghan, Brown (Daly 56) , Molley, Wright (McMurdo 66), Paton (Mcquillan 66), Robertson (Taylor 66)
Subs: Daly, Macdonald, Taylor, McMurdo, Mcquillan
