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Spartans continued their successful unbeaten form in the
second half of the season with a 3-0 victory over Aberdeen in the Scottish
Women’s Premier League at Ainslie Park.
The home side took a 1-0 lead into half time through a
Diana Barry free kick before doubling their advantage on the hour mark with a
Sarah Ewens strike. And it was the striker who sealed the victory in injury time
by rounding the keeper to take all three points for the home side.
Spartans started the brighter and within three minutes
Alana Marshall, who was drifting all across the midfield, drilled a 30 yard shot
that flew wide of the right hand post. Diana Barry picked the ball up just short
of the Aberdeen box and after jinking one way then the other, laid the ball back
to Marshall who’s first time shot went wide of the mark.
Moments later and again Spartans came close to opening the
scoring with Marshall again seeing her shot fly over the bar. Trisha McLaughlin
charged down the right wing and cut the ball across the box to Louise Mason who,
with three opponents surrounding her path to goal, laid the ball back to the
dominant Marshall who side-footed a shot over the bar from 20 yards out.
Spartans were creating the better of the chances and with
15 minutes gone Sarah Ewens escaped the grasps of the Aberdeen defence and as
she entered the box she sent a placed shot towards goal only to see Lauren
Sangster collect at her near post. Mason, playing on the left of the front
three, collected the ball just outside the Aberdeen area and, after seeing the
run of Ewens, played a low through ball to the Spartans top goalscorer but her
shot was easily saved by the Aberdeen Number 1.
Ten minutes before half-time Spartans finally got their
rewards for their constant pressure with Barry curling in a free-kick from just
outside the 18 yard box to open the scoring. Mason, who was through on goal,
flicked the ball over the outstretched foot of Susan Murray only to be caught by
the Aberdeen defender. Up stepped Barry to curl the ball round the wall and into
the top corner past the helpless Sangster.
Just before the break and Spartans again came close to
increasing their lead with Mason latching onto a Barry pass only to see her shot
fly inches wide of the goal. Barry played the ball through to McLaughlin who was
causing the Aberdeen defence problems with her pace. The Spartans winger, after
getting past her marker, played the ball back to Barry who, with her first
touch, played in Mason but her right foot shot sailed wide of the goal.
Aberdeen came out fighting in the second half and created
their first real opportunity minutes after the restart with Cheryl Anderson
firing wide after a goalmouth scramble. Aberdeen’s Claire Martin picked the ball
up just outside the area and fired in two vicious shots which centre-half
Victoria Farquhar managed to block with her legs. After the second block the
ball fell to Anderson but her shot flew inches wide of the post without
troubling the Spartans goal.
Moments later and Spartans again came close to doubling
their lead with Ewens shooting over the bar from the edge of the area. Olivia
Lukasewich brought the ball out of defence and played a delicate ball up the
right wing to McLaughlin who, after getting past her marker, fired a ball over
the top of the defence into the path of Ewens. The Spartans striker tussled with
the defence before smashing in a shot from distance only to see it sail over the
bar.
With almost an hour on the clock Spartans finally got their
just rewards with Ewens making it 2-0 with a fantastic shot from the angle of
the box. Ewens picked the ball up and charged towards goal before cutting in
onto her right foot and smashing and unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of
the net.
Minutes later Spartans had to rely on goalkeeper Rachel
Harrison to prevent the away side from reducing the deficit with a fantastic
save at her near post from a Aimee Ross shot. Ross skipped clear of the Spartans
defence down the left wing and, as she entered the box, powered in a fierce
drive to the near post only to see Harrison get her body in the way to deflect
the ball for a corner.
Spartans were creating more and more opportunities with
Ewens causing the Aberdeen defence several problems with her strength and speed.
After getting her first goal of the game the striker was looking to add to her
tally and as she collected the ball midway through the Aberdeen half she turned
and fired a thunderous drive that smashed off the underside of the bar before
bouncing clear of danger.
With ten minutes of play to go Ewens was thwarted by
Sangster as the striker tried to round the Aberdeen keeper. Barry collected the
ball midway through the Aberdeen half and clipped the ball over the defence into
the path of Ewens who, after taking a touch, tried to round the Aberdeen Number
1. However the goalkeeper read the striker’s movement and pounced on the ball to
prevent the score from increasing.
However as injury time approached Ewens did finally get her
second, and her team’s third, as she tried, and succeeded, the same move by
rounding the keeper and tap the ball home. Barry again picked the ball up just
in front of the Aberdeen defence and fed the ball through to her strike partner.
Ewens sped round the keeper and passed the ball home into an empty net sealing
the three points for her side.
Spartans Head Coach Debbi McCulloch was extremely pleased
to take the three points and continue their impressive run in the second half of
the season. She said: “Today we passed the ball really well and am really
pleased to score three goals and keep a clean sheet. We created lots of chances
and on another day could have scored a lot more. To score three goals and to
create several clear-cut chances was fantastic and hopefully we can continue
this form as we play Celtic in the cup.”
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