Hibs Women Head Coach Joelle Murray was “disappointed” despite defeating Aberdeen 2-0 at Balmoral Stadium.
Libby Smith opened the scoring with her eighth goal in just four matches in the 27th minute.
Hibs then doubled their lead in the 52nd minute through a Selin Cemal own goal, but were unable to capitalise and could not add anymore goals to their tally.
After the final whistle Murray told Hibs TV: “A victory, three points, obviously that’s the aim coming up here. I think we’re disappointed with the second half in particular. We said at half-time how we wanted to build and try and capitalise on the possession that we had in the first half. I don’t think we’ve done that.
“It’s great to come up and get the three points in conditions that aren’t the best, but I’m frustrated with the second half in particular.”
Libby Smith is proving to be a great addition to the squad and Murray spoke on how “crucial” her goals are to the team.
“It’s fantastic (how quickly Smith has hit the ground running). We were so patient with that number nine position because we know how important it is to our squad, especially because of the players we lost and the goals that we lost in those players. She’s come in and been fantastic.
“She’ll probably be disappointed that she’s not got a hat-trick today. That’s the type of player and person she is. She’s so determined, but her goals are crucial for us, absolutely crucial. Like I said, probably could have and should have been more.”
Eve Annets made her debut this afternoon. The goalkeeper joined on loan from Manchester City in the summer but had not played yet due to being involved in England U20’s World Cup squad.
Murray added: “I’m really pleased. She’s had to be patient, given she’s been involved in the World Cup with England Under-20s, which we encouraged her to do because I know how important and proud a moment representing your country is on a stage like that. So she’s had to be patient, and it’s fantastic to see her keep that clean sheet, not just for herself but for the squad.
“I think it’s the first one since the first game of the season, so it’s a really important save at a crucial time because Aberdeen, to their credit, came out on the second half, were brave to play, and they were really creating chances.”
Hibs Women’s next match is a huge Edinburgh Derby clash at Easter Road next Sunday, with free tickets still available to buy online, courtesy of Baillie Gifford, and Murray spoke on how much she is “looking forward” to the Capital Cup clash.
“It’s fantastic that Baillie Gifford supports that fixture and provides free tickets at Easter Road.
“It’s a fixture that we’re looking forward to, every Derby game is, and we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing a big crowd.
“The supporters of this women’s team come out in numbers, home and away, so hopefully we can see a bit more come along to next Sunday’s game at Easter Road.”
