Glasgow City 1 Valur 1

Last updated : 30 September 2011 By Ed_scottishfitba

There must be something big happening if you can get Shona Robison MSP and Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan, women's national coach Anna Singeul and all the big-wigs from SportsScotland all in the one place at the one time. The place was Petershill Park, Springburn in Glasgow and they witnessed Glasgow City make a steady first step into the last 32 of the Women's Champions League as they drew with Valur from Reykjavik. The records show the score as 1-1 but that does not tell the story. A turn out of 738 (despite the BBC saying only 338 turned up) made the night one to remember for a variety of reasons. Not only did Glasgow City make a very good fist of dealing with their nerves and weight of expectation on their shoulders to show that they were more than capable of dealing with a robust side from Iceland, they also showed some really good touches of fine football. Club manager, Laura Montgomery, will hope the display will have encouraged a sizable proportion of the crowd to come along to City's next home game a week on Sunday when they play Celtic ladies by which time they could have won the league for a fifth time in a row.

Shona Robison behind Anna Singuel
City had the majority of opportunities to score in the first half with Lisa Evans nearly scoring in the first couple of minutes. She was in one-on-one with Valur's American goalkeeper, Megan McCray, and turned away when her underpowered shot was blocked. However, if she had remained focused she could have pounced on the ball which McCray had fumbled and which had to be cleared by captain Malfridur Erna Sigurdardottirr. Evans was kicking herself in the post game interviews for the chances she missed in the game. She did take her goal well in the 19th minute but with City feeding her the ball on a regular basis, as she had the beating of the defence on the left, Evans felt she should have made the game safe on her own efforts along. However, it was not a one-woman show by any way. There was one superb turn and bending shot heading for the top corner from Eilish McSorley after the goal which would have been a great and deserved second. However, 'keeper McCray was equal to the task of leaping and turning the shot round for a corner. City had most if not all of the real chances in the first half and Valur were relying on beating the offside trap to test Claire Johnstone and her defence. There was one free kick from Holmfriour Magnusdottir which did set the crossbar a-judder that sticks in the memory. In the main City's defence somehow appeared from nowhere when the offside trap was sprung but it must do nothing for their coach Eddie Wolecki Black's nerves. As the half was drawing to a close, City appeared to switch off and their inter-passing between the defenders was starting to get mis-timed and Valur intercepted a couple of times. If their luck had held the half would have ended 1-1.
 
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The second half was more even with the half-time team talk by Valur's coach Gunnar Borgthorsson, having a positive effect on the visitors. The artificial surface at Petershill Park must take at least 45 minutes to get used to as the Icelanders were a more confident force in the second 45. Caitlin Meikel was fleet of foot and a couple of times a footrace with the retreating City defence could have worked out better for the American midfielder. The visitors never really looked like scoring from open play, thanks to the all bodies to the defence attitude of the City players, and sure enough the equalising goal came from an indirect free kick inside the City penalty box. The referee's assistant spotted a foul just before the hour mark and the penalty box was suddenly packed with orange shirted City players to make up the wall and mark the Valur attackers. In these situations anything can happen as any sort of miss hit by defender or attacker can result in the ball in the net. While the crowd held it's breath, the free-kick was passed to the side and hit firmly into the six yard box where Laufey Olafsdottir lifted it into the roof of the net from three yards out. Valur knew they had managed to get off the hook as shown by the squeals of delight to have equalised emanating from the players as they congratulated Olafsdottir. The silence from the crowd only made the celebrations all the louder. 

Valur celebrate

The Glasgow women were crest-fallen at the end of the game as they knew they had more than enough chances to make the return game in a week's time a formality. However, some valuable lessons have been learnt by the team; they should not be intimidated by the opposition; they can carry the weight of expectation of the country with ease; and they have to remember they have other options in the goal threat department apart from Evans. As you know, it is hard to get the better of a determined Glasgow woman which means the return game should be a rather interesting affair.

Glasgow City: Johnstone, Dalziel, Corsie, McSorley, Fernon, Gemmell, Ross (J), Ross (L), Lindner, Murray, Evans
Subs: Alexander, Love, Mitchell, Paterson, Woolley, McDonald, Barnes

 
Valur: McCray, Sigurdardottir, Edvardsdottir, Logaddottir,
Bjarnadottir, Gisladottir, Miskel, Antonsdottir, Gretardottir, Magnusdottir (H), Olafsdottir (L)
Subs: Maria, Guomundsdottir, Jensen, Olafsdottir (T), Gunnarsdottir, Magnusdottir (P), Gylfadottir
 
Crowd: 738
 
Referee: Sandra Braz Bastos (Portugal)