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Stenhousemuir WFCMatch Report
For the first league game of the season, Head coach Jack Cameron had 13 players available for the match
There were three debutants in the starting 11 as Player/Coach Toni Harkness started in goals, Clare Wilson started in defence and Trialist Zoë Richard-Campbell started in a more advanced midfield role.
They were joined by Jude Connolly, Lucy Sullivan and Rachel Ann Vickerman in defence, Leah Jones, Eirinn Maguire and Samantha Montgomery in midfield and Erin Wilson and Eva Ralston up front.
Both teams started right from the whistle and spent the first 10 minutes of the match battling for every ball. Giffnock were the only team to manage a chance in the opening exchange but their effort rolled past the post.
GOAL: Jude Connolly slipped a ball down the wing to Samantha Montgomery who went one on one with the keeper and made no mistakes. GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 0-1 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC [Montgomery 20 minutes]
The game began to get a bit scrappy in the middle of the park with a couple of fouls and very few chances created.
Lucy Sullivan takes a knock to the face and the game is stopped for a few minutes as the ref sends both teams off for a water break.
The game resumes as Giffnock begin applying more pressure, managing to get a couple of chances and pinning the Warriors back in their own half.
Jude Connolly manages to break the press as she is closed down by the Giffnock left back, winning the ball and taking it a run down the wing. She manages to retain posession after a few tackles and places it into Montgomery who slashes it over the bar.
GOAL: Leah Jones feeds a wonderful ball down the right wing into Eirinn Maguire. Maguire takes it for a run before weighting a perfect cross into Eva Ralston. Ralston controls it down on her chest and pokes it into the bottom left corner. GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 0-2 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC [Ralston 45 minutes]
The ref allows the game to kick off again but blows the whistle for half time a short while later with no further action of the half.
HALF TIME: Giffnock SC Women 0-2 STENHOUSEMUIR
No change for either side during the break.
Giffnock begin the half with some early pressure, winning a corner in the process.
GOAL: The Giffnock corner is floated into the box and headed clear but only as far as the Giffnock number 36, McLaren, who takes the ball down and fires into the top of the net, out of the reach of Harkness. GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 1-2 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC [McLaren 47 minutes]
Straight from the kick off the Warriors get a chance to respond as Connolly takes a long throw in over the top of the Giffnock defense. Montgomery runs onto the end of it and manages to get a shot away but the keeper gets a touch on it and the ball rolls just past the post.
GOAL: A corner taken by Erin Wilson finds its way to the Trialist Zoë Richard-Campbell who makes no mistake and smashes it into the back of the net. A goal on her debut! GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 1-3 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC [Richard-Campbell 51 minutes]
Giffnock seemed to strugle to get back into the match as they didnt offer much for the next 10 minutes.
A heavy tackle by Connolly on the edge of the box concedes a Giffnock freekick on the edge of the box.
GOAL: From the freekick Cunningham fires into the top right corner for Giffnock. Questions being asked about a potential obstruction from the Giffnock forward who impeded the keeper but the ref gives the goal. GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 2-3 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC [Cunningham 67 minutes]
That goal changed the momentum of the game as Giffnock now press hard to try and find an equaliser.
A few chances including another freekick from Giffnock end up going wide before the ref gives another water break.
After the break Jude Connolly finds herself picking up a yellow card for what initally looked like time wasting. The ref asked her to hurry up and take a throw in to which she remarked to a spectator “why, is he in a hurry or something”. Its unclear if the card was for descent or for time wasting.
Samantha Montgomery now finds herself in the referees book as she thows a tired shoulder into controlling the ball and it catches her elbow.
SUBSTITUTION: Jack Cameron decides to make an immediate change after the Montgomery yellow card. She was beginning to look tired. Chloe Pearson comes on to replace her for the last 10 minutes.
Giffnock really begin to amp up the pressure in their search for an equaliser. Stenny are beginning to look tired and every pass and tackle looks like its taking alot of energy.
The warriors manage to win a corner as they break the press and get themselves up the park. Erin Wilson fires it into the Trialist again but this time her looping shot is headed off the line.
Giffnock take the ball straight down the other end as Lucy Sullivan throws herself in to knock the ball away for a corner.
Stenny manage to clear the corner but find themselves under some sustained pressure for the next few minutes.
Ralston presses down the Giffnock centre back and wins a break of the ball. Maguire picks it up and runs down the wing before delivering a great low cross into Ralston. Ralston meets the cross and hits a looping shot which has the keeper scrambling before the ball hits the woodwork and ends up out of play.
A real team effort from the Warriors but Clare Wilson and Jude Connolly in particular are throwing their bodies on the line to get the ball clear and deny Giffnock any goal scoring opportunities in the final few minutes.
The ref has given almost 6 minutes extra time but it isnt enough for Giffnock and the Warriors manage to hold on!
FULL TIME: GIFFNOCK SC WOMEN 2-3 STENHOUSEMUIR WOMEN FC