Grant Scott made two changes to the side that drew with Spartans last weekend, Abbie Ferguson and Lauren Doran-Barr being replaced by skipper Joelle Murray and midfielder Naomi Powell.
A Celtic side holding a 100-percent record in the league thus far, netting 30 times and conceding just once in their opening four fixtures, wasted next to no time in showing their quality in the capital.
The buoyant pre-match mood at a sun-kissed Meadowbank was quickly quelled by Amy Gallacher. With just six minutes on the clock a deflected cross was tidily teed up to Gallacher’s right peg by Kit Loferski, allowing the former Hibee forward to perfectly pick out the top-left corner of Katie Fraine’s goal with an unstoppable finish.
Alarm bells started ringing for the home side when Colette Cavanagh doubled the visitors’ lead with only 15 minutes played. Loferski capped off an excellent mazy dribble with a dangerous cutback that was neatly flicked on by Gallacher towards the back post, where Cavanagh pounced to slide home a second.
Hibs twice blasted over while attempting to get back in the game, with an audacious effort by Eilidh Adams from range and an overhit free-kick by Poppy Lawson both failing to test Kelsey Daugherty.
Just beyond the half-hour mark, the unrelenting Celtic attack netted their third goal from as many chances. An initial strike from Shen Menglu was bravely blocked by Lawson, though the deflection handily landed at Gallacher’s feet, allowing the forward to net her second by smashing the ball into the roof of Fraine’s net.
Despite the opposition’s relentless attacks and clear prowess in front of goal, Hibs kept fighting for a way back into the match. A long punt upfield by Fraine was latched onto well by Adams, who bore down on goal after freeing herself from defensive pressure, but the forward was denied by a fine low stop by Daugherty.
Frustrated, but not defeated, by missing a gilt-edged chance, Adams netted minutes later. Leah Eddie slipped the speedy Tegan Bowie in behind Celtic full-back Celya Barclais, granting the winger an ample opportunity to pick out Adams at the back post – helped by a missed defensive clearance by Chloe Craig – to coolly slam the ball into the back of the net on the volley.
With half-time fast approaching, it appeared Hibs were not satisfied with pulling just one goal back before the interval as the attacks kept on coming. A suddenly nervy Celtic defence struggled to cope with the constant pressure and with stoppage-time nearing its end, Mya Christie managed to get on the wrong side of Loferski and was tripped just inside the penalty area.
Summer arrival Jorian Baucom, following on from last week’s converted spot kick, stepped up once again to calmly place the ball beyond the opposition goalkeeper to cut the visitors’ lead to just one. A dramatic five minutes shifted the momentum of the clash, as well as roused the home crowd at Meadowbank who perhaps thought of the worst when goal number three went in.
At the break, Grant Scott opted to make a double change as Shannon Leishman and Ferguson replaced opening goalscorer and captain, Adams and Murray, respectively.
A quiet start to the second 45 contrasted a hectic end to the first. That was until Baucom very nearly equalised before the hour mark. Midfield anchor Ellis Notley pinged an excellent ball down the right flank for Naomi Powell, who put a tantalising ball into the mixer for Baucom to run onto. Unfortunately for the expectant faithful watching on, our number 5’s prodded effort was parried wide well by Daugherty.
With 18 minutes remaining, Lawson – just moments after making a crucial block to keep points within reach – attempted a precarious pass that gifted possession to the Celtic frontline at the halfway line. This error allowed substitute Tiree Burchill to combine with Gallacher to fatally counter a dishevelled Hibs backline. The latter, to secure her hat-trick, confidently dispatched her chance with a tidy low finish to deliver what turned out to be the knockout blow in EH7.
A handful of half-chances came for the visitors – the best of the bunch being two successive inswinging corners from substitutes Maria McAmeny and Shen Mengyu that Fraine was forced to tip over the crossbar – while Hibs were truly restricted for the first time in the match as the clock wound down. In hope of a repeat of last weekend’s heroics, Brooke Nunn was brought on for the impressive Bowie on the left wing, but alas it was not to be.
Despite the team throwing everything forward, there was no besting a talented – and most importantly, clinical – Celtic side. Hibs must now quickly move on to prepare for next weekend’s Edinburgh Derby at Tynecastle Park.
