Dundee United 0-1 Aberdeen Women Foundation Park Sky Sports Cup League Phase Wednesday 5 August Aberdeen Women travelled to a cold Foundation Park on Wednesday night for their third fixture in the League Phase of the Sky Sports Cup. A first half Piper Lea strike was all that separated the two sides as things closed out with a galvanised team defensive display to keep a clean sheet on their travels. Report: Dundee United tried to press aggressively from the start but the Dons kept their composure at the back with new goalkeeper Katie O’Hanlon enjoying plenty touches of the ball. The Dons grew into the game after ten minutes finding some room down the wings. Holly Daniel showed her pace stretching play on the left. She cut in on the edge of the box for the first shot on goal 20 minutes in. After some nice build up play involving Soroya Walsh and Olivia Reid down the right flank, the ball played to Holly Daniel who cut play across to Piper Lea on the edge of the box who set herself and struck a powerful curling shot into the top right corner on 20 minutes. Aberdeen warmed things up after the opener as Erin Carrol played through Soroya Walsh who took the ball on the half turn past Kiera MacPherson to sting the palms of Annalisa McCann. United looked for an instant response as Lucy Stevenson tried her luck from range but could only hit wide. The home side continued their intense start throughout the half continuing to press Aberdeen, but the Dons held firm limiting them to only one shot on target with five to play. The last true action of the half saw a United defensive mix up see Walsh through one on one with McCann, however, her misplaced touch allowed the keeper to smother to safety in a much improved showing from the Dons. Half time Aberdeen 1-0 Dundee Utd. An unchanged Aberdeen came out in the 2nd half. An unfortunate touch from Finnie saw Alma Codegoni through on goal. O’Hanlon rushed out and made herself big to make a huge save in her first real call to action on her debut. Piper Mayhew enjoyed a fine evening, showing real defensive awareness and winning almost every duel. She set Walsh through down the line but the striker just couldn’t get her foot out to it. Former Don Nicola Jameison went on a solo run up the left wing and her cross caused confusion in the Aberdeen penalty area, with O’Hanlon just able to cling on. Her following pass out started a Dons counter. Erin Carrol received on halfway and spotted McCann off her line, however her lobbed attempt was caught. Moments later, an Aberdeen defensive mix-up saw Elrinn McCaffertey find space on the six yard line with an empty net in front of her. Maddie Finnie raced beyond her keeper to make a captains clearance off the goal line in the 68th minute. Iona Watt’s introduction saw Holly Daniel shift to the right wing. The latter’s quick feet opened up space for Walsh who then played the ball across for Watt in acres of space. The substitute’s strike forced McCann into a diving save to keep her side in the game. The final stages saw the Dons dig deep, clearing and heading away everything in their path to keep their clean sheet for the much deserved three points and their first win of the season. The victory takes the Dons into eighth in the cup standings going into Sunday’s home tie against Spartans. Full Time: Aberdeen 1 -0 Dundee Utd. Nathan Flight: “It feels great because we've done a lot of good in the first two games for periods, and then dropped off in periods, but tonight we got that level of performance much closer to where it needs to be for the 90 minutes. “I think we thoroughly deserve to win. And like I say, it was about trying to build on that consistency. “I'm proud of the players. I proud of the way that they went into battle. “Katie (O’Hanlon) gives us a leadership from the back. She gives us an experience from a level that's higher than where we're at the moment.

“We know that on Sunday it'll be another level up. Spartans won the league last year at SWPL 2. “We'll come in with a load of confidence. So it's about going out, winning that physical battle first and foremost, and then being able to go and play our football and create the charges that we know we can. STATS: Aberdeen: O’Hanlon, Black, Carrol, Lea, Walsh (Hoyle 79’), Daniel, Finnie, Buchan, Skinner (Ferguson 60’), Reid, Mayhew Subs: Signorini, Selbie, Watt (Reid 68’), Simpson, Ferguson, Hoyle, Colquhoun Goals: Lea 20’ Bookings: Finnie 77’ Dundee Utd: McCann, Macpherson, Stevenson, Jamieson (Brennan 90’), Mackinlay (Taylor 45’), Simson (Park 85’), Bruce, Codegoni, McCafferty, Marnie, Erin Logan Subs: Park, Brenan, Riddell, Taylor, Smart Bookings: Stevenson 86’