Hibernian Women leapfroged league leaders Glasgow City in the most dramatic of fashions in their first post-split fixture of the season.
Kirsty Morrison was called upon after just six minutes, when Kathleen McGovern was substituted through injury, but would prove to be Hibernian’s hero on the day with her crucial last-minute winner.
Ahead of the match, the two most successful teams in Scottish Women’s football history both celebrated their 500th match in the SWPL and came into the clash with equal point totals across this season.
The dramatic triumph in Springburn sees the Hibsr ise to the top of the SWPL table – two points ahead of second-place Rangers – with nine league matches to play.
After the final whistle head coach Grant Scott said: “We’ve rode our luck a little bit today, whilst I don’t think City had a lot of brilliant opportunities today.
“They certainly had possession and territory in the second half. First half I thought it was an even game but it was pretty scrappy.
“At the end of the day, at this stage in the season, winning games is massive. There is no better place to come and do it. Glasgow City are a top opponent. They will be right in it until the death. We are taking it one game at a time.
“The players deserve huge credit. The glamour job is putting the ball in the net, but the harder job is keeping it out.
“Once again today, we have minimised a quality opponent to shots from distance and crosses.
On the milestone match, Scott added: “It’s nice for two great giants of the Scottish Women’s game. Both clubs have done so much to progress the game in this country.
“It was a worthy occasion that we played each other today. It was good for us to take the points. I’m just delighted to win.”
Michaela McAlonie was thrilled to “dig in and get the result.
McAlonie, who has appeared in all but one Hibernian match this season across all competitions, is keen to keep pushing their old, and new, rivals at the summit with nine matches remaining.
“Absolutely buzzing,” Micky told HibsTV. “Delighted for the girls and the staff. We’ve worked really hard this week and it’s paid off for us.
“I think people would have thought it was a fluke for us this season. But we know we want to compete. We have been working extremely hard. We want to play for something.
“To show everyone that, and potentially competing for the league, is so surreal. We are just going to take every game as it comes.
“It was not our best performance today but we dug in and got the result, and that is all that matters.”
“We were gutted for McGov. She’s such a big player. But the likes of Kirsty coming on, and Rosie coming off the bench, they give us so much energy. They were brilliant when they came on.
“Kirsty’s been in the league for years. She is such an experienced player. She might be one of the quietest players but on the pitch she is so feisty.
“She got hurt but to put her body on the line and get that goal for us means everything.”
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.
