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The second half
of the 2013
Scottish Women’s
Premier League
campaign got off
to a flyer for
Celtic as they
closed the gap
on Spartans with
a 3-0 win at
Lennoxtown.
The home side
took the lead
with a deflected
Chloe Arthur
strike from the
edge of the area
on eight minutes
before doubling
their lead
midway through
the second half
thanks to a
Julie Fleeting
thunderbolt. The
Hoops sealed the
victory and the
three points in
the last minute
of normal time
when Maread
Fulton, who was
through on goal,
fired the ball
into the bottom
corner.
Spartans started
the brighter of
the two teams
and could have
been ahead
inside the first
five minutes but
for a great save
by Gemma Fay who
tipped the ball
onto the bar
from a Kirsty
McLaughlin
strike. Trisha
McLaughlin won a
corner down the
right wing which
was swung to the
edge of the area
for Kirsty
McLaughlin to
crash in a shot
which Fay tipped
onto the bar
before a
goalmouth
scramble ensued.
With the ball
bouncing around
the area like a
pinball game it
took a clearance
by Chloe Craig,
on the Celtic
goal-line, to
clear the
danger.
Celtic, after
this scare,
proceeded to
take the game by
the scruff of
the neck and
within minutes
created a half
chance with
Fiona Brown
firing the ball
straight into
the arms of
Rachel Harrison.
Brown, playing
down the left
wing, beat
Spartans
fullback Ashley
Nicolson for
pace before
cutting infield
and firing a
right foot shot
straight at
Harrison.
The home side
came close
moments later
when the
Spartans defence
created trouble
for themselves
by giving the
ball straight to
Chloe Arthur who
crashed a
thunderous drive
towards the
bottom corner
only to see the
outstretched
hand of Harrison
tip the ball
around the post.
With only eight
minutes on the
clock Celtic
took the lead
when, again,
Arthur won the
ball back on the
right hand side
of midfield
before peeling
inside and
crashing in a
shot which
deflected off
defender
Stephanie Briggs
and into the
back of the net.
Spartans could
have been all
square within
minutes of the
restart with a
Claire Crosbie
header being
tipped over the
bar by Fay.
Alana Marshall
swung in a free
kick from the
left wing which
was met with
force by Crosbie
but her header
was tipped over
by the
outstretched
hand of
Scotland’s
Number One.
Celtic did come
close to
increasing their
lead minutes
before halftime
when debutant
Julie Fleeting
latched onto an
Arthur cross
only to see her
shot on the turn
fly over the bar
from 12 yards
out. Arthur
charged down the
right wing and
as she reached
the bye-line she
fired over a
cross to
Fleeting who, on
the turn, fired
a shot over the
bar.
It was only a
matter of time
before Celtic
doubled their
advantage but
for a great save
by Harrison in
the Spartans
goal. Nirvana
Crighton, who
was causing
Spartans
problems with
her pace, fled
past Nicolson
down the left
before crashing
in a cross to
Fleeting however
her shot from
three yards out
was blocked
point blank by
the Spartans
Keeper.
However Fleeting
got the
upperhand of the
Spartans shot
stopper on 68
minutes when she
curled a right
foot shot into
the top corner
from the edge of
the area. Carla
Jackson, who had
come off the
substitutes
bench, danced
her way down the
wing before
sending in a low
cross to
Fleeting who, in
one move, turned
and fired the
ball into the
top corner.
Celtic sealed
the victory
moments before
the full time
whistle when
Maread Fulton
stole the ball
off Spartans
centre half
Crosbie and sped
towards goal
before firing
the ball past
Harrison and
into the bottom
corner.
Full Time:
Celtic 3-0
Spartans
Teams:
Celtic: Gemma
Fay, Chloe
Craig, Emma
Brownlie, Maread
Fulton, Mhari
Gilmore, Julie
Fleeting, Kelly
Clark, Nivana
Crighton, Fiona
Brown, Chloe
Arthur, Molly
McKean.
Substitutes:
Chloe Logan,
Racheal O’Neill,
Abigail
Harrison, Carla
Jackson, Hayley
Sinclair, Shelby
Kearney, Leigh
Nicol
Spartans: Rachel
Harrison, Alana
Marshall,
Stephanie
Briggs, Claire
Crosbie, Ashley
Nicolson, Katie
Reilly, Diana
Barry, Kirsty
McLaughlin,
Trisha
McLaughlin,
Sarah Ewens,
Lana Clelland
Substitutes:
Charlene
Lessells, Louise
Patterson,
Louise Moultray,
Louise Mason,
Bobbie Beveridge,
Rebecca Zoltie,
Elliss Jenkins
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