Five goals on the 5th ensures all three points in Motherwell

Motherwell Women 2 Aberdeen Women 5

Scottish Power Women’s Premier League – K Park – 5th November 2023 – 16:00

Aberdeen produced a sparkler of a performance on Bonfire Night as they smashed in 5 goals on the road against Motherwell. Bayley Hutchison produced the fireworks as she passed 100 goals for the club by grabbing four and Darcie Miller also got on the scoresheet. Carla Boyce and Kayla Jardine got the consolation strikes for the home side.

There were three changes to Clinton Lancaster’s side since their last outing at home against Glasgow City. Nadine Hanssen is no longer available for selection after announcing her pregnancy recently and Francesca Ogilvie missed out through illness. Aimee Black moved to the bench whilst Darcie Miller, Phoebe Murray and Hannah Innes all came into the starting eleven. Hannah Stewart took the captain’s armband.

The visitors came close to an early opener after just five minutes. Maddie Finnie did well to carry the ball out of defence and find Stewart in the centre circle. The captain played a good ball out to Innes who cut in from the right before sending a powerful left foot shot just over from twenty yards.

Former Dons midfielder Bailley Collins picked up an early booking for the hosts after a foul on Miller, the young striker landed heavily under the challenge, but she was able to continue after some treatment.

It was a physical opening to the game which made for a scrappy start to proceedings. The hosts didn’t properly test Annalisa McCann in the Aberdeen goal until 15 minutes in when Collins low shot was parried by the Dons goalie who gathered the ball at the second attempt.

‘Well went close again five minutes later when Jo Addie got her head onto a long ball into the box but her glancing effort flashed just wide.

Aberdeen came within inches of the opener in the 25th minute. Great play by Stewart saw her intercept a pass in the middle of the park before releasing Eilidh Shore who beat Emily Mutch in the Motherwell goal but saw her shot come back off the post.

The Dons twice went close as the game reached the half-hour mark. A great passing move which started in defence with Chloe Gover ended with Murray playing Innes in down the right and her clipped ball to the back post fell just wide. Just minutes later Shore got her head on a corner which Mutch did well to smother.

Ten minutes before half-time the Dons deservedly took the lead. Eva Thomson won the ball on the left and slid a brilliant ball through to Bayley HUTCHISON who finished low beyond Mutch.

Motherwell almost came up with an instant response when Collins crossed for Carla Boyce who fired over from close range. Boyce then got another opportunity when she found herself clear in the box but again, she couldn’t keep her shot below the bar.

The hosts were getting closer, and they pulled level on the stroke of half time. Collins ball in from the left found BOYCE in the middle and this time she made no mistake as she clipped the ball past McCann to send the teams into the interval all-square.

HT: MOTHERWELL 1 ABERDEEN 1

Aberdeen started the second half in positive fashion and almost got rewarded minutes after the restart. Jess Broadrick did well to bring the ball out from defence and find Thomson on the left, she slid a pass into the path of Hutchison, but the striker’s effort just shaved the bar on its way over.

The Dons did get the goal that their positive start to the half deserved after eight minutes. Shore found Hutchison on the left of the area with a great pass and the striker unselfishly squared across the face of goal for MILLER to crash home her fourth goal of the season.

It was 3-1 just three minutes later as the visitors extended their lead with a fine goal. HUTCHISON picked up inside the centre circle and drove forward with the ball, she played a neat 1-2 with strike partner Miller on the edge of the box before finishing low into the bottom corner.

The home side went in search of a goal to get them back into the game, they failed to capitalise on a flurry of corners before substitute Laura McCartney flashed in a cross which McCann did well to get down and hold under pressure from Boyce.

McCann again came to the rescue on 66 minutes when she pulled off a brilliant save low to her right to deny Louisa Boyes a goal. It was then Motherwell’s turn to hit the woodwork when Addie got on the end of a cross and crashed her shot off the post.

Motherwell were screaming for a penalty with ten minutes remaining when the ball appeared to strike an Aberdeen hand in the box, but the referee waved away the appeals. Within minutes it was 4-1 to the Dons. HUTCHISON was released on the counter-attack by Chloe Gover and she carried the ball from halfway into the box before rolling home her hat-trick goal. The strike was Hutchison’s 100th goal for the team.

Amelie Martindale replaced the tireless Miller for the closing stages and it got even better on 88 minutes as the visitors made it five. HUTCHISON again was the scorer after being sent on her way through the middle by Stewart and there was only ever going to be one outcome as she outpaced the home defence before scoring her fourth of the game.

Hannah Insch, Emma Lawson and Aimee Black all came on in the closing stages for the Dons with Lawson making her debut. The hosts grabbed a last minute consolation when Kayla JARDINE cut in from the left before firing in an unstoppable shot to make the final score 5-2.

FT: MOTHERWELL 2 ABERDEEN 5

Motherwell 2

Boyce, 45

Jardine, 90

Aberdeen 5

Hutchison, 36 57 83 86

Miller, 53

Motherwell:

13. Emily Mutch 5. Jo Addie 4. Chelsie Watson 14. Gil Inglis 20. Bailley Collins 6. Amy Anderson 23. Sarah Gibb 21. Tara McGonigle 7. Kayla Jardine 9. Carla Boyce 19. Louisa Boyes

Subs:

1. Rebecca Cameron 3. Georgie Rafferty 8. Katie Rice 17. Kaela Mcdonald-Nguah 22. Kaitlyn Canavan 30. Laura McCartnay 28. Murron Cunningham 30. Shana McPhail

Aberdeen:

20. Annalisa McCANN

8. Chloe GOVER

4. Jess BROADRICK (Aimee BLACK 88mins)

15. Madison FINNIE

16. Hannah INNES (Emma LAWSON 88mins)

7. Eilidh SHORE (Hannah INSCH 88mins)

18. Eva THOMSON

10. Bayley HUTCHISON

9. Hannah STEWART

22. Phoebe MURRAY

12. Darcie MILLER (Amelie MARTINDALE 80mins)