It’s been a disappointing first-half of the SWPL season for Hibernian Women who currently sit in fourth place after seven games but Head Coach Dean Gibson believes there has been positives from their performances, if not the results.
This was always going to be a difficult league campaign now that both Rangers and Celtic have the ability to attract top-class players, provide top-class coaching and, crucially, have moved to full-time professional women’s football.
Even Glasgow City, after 13 years of consecutive titles and unrivalled success, now face their most serious challenge: keeping up with the financial might of the ‘Old Firm’.
In addition, Hearts won promotion to the SWPL last season after Anne Budge pledged to provide financial support and appointed former Northern Ireland international Andy Kirk as manager.
A narrows defeat to Rangers thanks to a goal from former player Chelsea Cornet was followed by a 3-2 loss away to Glasgow City. Both games could have gone either way but Celtic proved far too strong for Hibs at Ainslie Park and left with full points after a comprehensive 6-2 victory.
The biggest disappointment however came from a 1-0 defeat to city rivals Hearts at the Oriam after dominating for the majority of the 90-minutes before losing a last minute goal from Paige McAllister.
That win provided Hearts with their only points of the season to date.
The league resumes on 17th January when Hibs face an away fixture against Spartans.
Gibson said: “It’s been a difficult start to the season based on results. There have been a lot of positives to take from the games we have played.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
