After a record-breaking Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road last weekend, another tricky test faced Dean Gibson’s Hibernian Women side.
Returing to Petershill Park to take on league leaders Glasgow City in SWPL 1, there were four changes to the side that won the inaugural Capital Cup against Hearts, with Hibs looking to have another successful afternoon against our long-term rivals.
After an opening spell that saw City maintain the majority of possession, they threatened from a couple of set pieces. Firstly, Hayley Lauder had an effort on goal from a free kick, but her 25-yard drive cleared the crossbar. Secondly, and more threateningly, Jenna Clark met a whipped corner kick and headed the ball just wide of the post.
Immediately following Clark’s chance, we made our first foray forward in the 10th minute. Liana Hinds burst down the right flank and, after her first pass was blocked, delivered a low cross into the box. Michaela McAlonie curved her run to meet the pass, but her first-time effort fell wide of the mark.
The game petered out into something more frustrating for the home support in the 10 minutes to follow. City were keeping the ball and trying to stretch the game, but Hibs were getting stuck in in midfield and staying strong at the back, limiting their opposition’s creativity.
Barring a couple of snatched, first-time efforts from distance, City hadn’t threatened since Clark’s headed attempt. However, 31 minutes in, Haaland had to come up big, using her legs to parry an Emily Whelan effort from close range.
The most eye-catching City chance of the first half came five minutes before the whistle from Lauder. Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, the City captain let fly and drew gasps from the crowd as her strike clattered against the crossbar.
Seconds before the half time whistle, and arguably against the run of play, Hibs took the lead. After battling in the middle, Hinds got the ball across to Eleni Giannou, who layed it out wide to McAlonie. The midfielder launched an effort on goal and, with a touch from Lee Gibson, found the top left corner.
Although Hibs went in at the break with the lead, we wouldn’t have it for very long. In the 49th minute, Lauder’s corner was once again met by Clark, who glanced the ball into the bottom left corner to square the game.
Eilidh Adams had a real run at goal in the 56th minute, after a searching ball over the top of City’s backline found our young striker. She managed to keep a hold of the ball and evade Clark, but Claire Walsh was able to dispossess Adams before she could get a shot on Gibson’s goal.
After a tense 15-minute period, City took the lead for the first time in the 70th minute. Lauder’s corners had been a source of frustration for Hibs all game and, after being put under pressure by Walsh, Hinds unfortunately scored the own goal that gave Hibs plenty to do in the last 20 minutes.
In the search for an equaliser, Nor Mustafa and Rosie Livingstone entered the fray and the pair almost combined for a goal in the 82nd minute. With Rosie toeing the offside line, Nor found her with a lofted ball forward but with the youngster under pressure from Walsh, her first-time effort didn’t trouble Gibson.
Nor was giving the City backline trouble and found herself in again in the 87th minute. A nice sweeping move from Hibs saw McAlonie feeding the striker, but Nor’s effort on goal was deflected behind for a corner which, unfortunately, came to nothing.
Despite a late push, Hibs came up just short in a close encounter with City, with the home side taking all three points on a chilly afternoon in Glasgow.
