Hibs Women capped of a great year of progression with a tremendous 3-0 away victory over Rangers yesterday.
A brace from Kathleen McGovern and a strike from substitute Rosie Livingstone earned the side a merited three points at a blustery Broadwood Stadium.
Head coach Grant Scott had set up his side in a 4-3-3 system and the change worked wonders, as the high-scoring hosts failed to threaten Erin Clachers in goal on more than a couple of occasions while struggling to withhold the dangerous waves of Hibs attacks throughtout the full 90.
After the final whistle he said: “Thoroughly deserved. We’ve played and performed to a high level there against a top side. I’m delighted with the group.
It shows the signs of progress that we are making. I don’t think we are finished. There is more to come here. Overall, I’m thoroughly chuffed with the performance.
Rangers have scored the most ScottishPower Women’s Premier League goals so far this campaign, finding the net on 77 occasions.
Hibs now join Glasgow City, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid as the only sides to have kept a clean sheet against Jo Potter’s outfit this season.
“I think step-by-step we are improving,” Scott continued. “The structure of the team looks good.
“We looked difficult to break down today. We minimised a really good side to very few chances.
“All of the these things; the goals we are scoring and the goals we don’t concede anymore, seeing these games out now that we maybe wouldn’t have in the past. It’s more signs of progress and you have to be happy with it.
“We said before the match, we couldn’t afford one minute of slackness or lack of concentration. It had to be 90 minutes.
“We’ve shown today what a good side we are. We’ve put a good side to the sword today and we have taken our chances when they’ve came.
“It’s all very impressive from a fantastic group of players.”
Siobhan Hunter who played a crucial role defensively in securing the victory told Hibs TV: “It’s massive [to keep a clean sheet].
“The goals they’ve scored, it’s a hell of a lot of numbers. To score three, but to also concede none on our side, is great for me as a defender and as a whole squad.
“When the third goal went in, the first thing that was said was ‘keep the clean sheet’. It’s something we really wanted to do and we done that.
“Today, I thought, to a player, we were excellent,” Hunter commented. “Every single player was brilliant, even if they came on.
“Even those who didn’t come on, we are a real team here. I think we thoroughly deserved the three points today.
“We go into every game wanting to win, but that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win. You need to put on a performance and I think we done that.”
“It’s huge. Going into this tough game, it could turn your Christmas a bit sour if you get beat but we managed to get the three points.
“The fans who came out today were brilliant and hopefully we’ve sent them home happy with three points just before Christmas.”
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.
