Reigning SWPL Champions, Glasgow City started season 2015 where they left off, collecting a comfortable three points after a 5-0 away win against Hutchison Vale to ensure confidence remains high before the visit of PSG next Sunday. On a very heavy and uneven surface it was always going to be difficult for any level of great football to be played, but City controlled this game from start to finish and could and should have perhaps added to their final tally.
Susan Fairlie got City off and running with the opening goal on 14 minutes. Kerry Montgomery, making her official competitive debut for City struck a well hit shot from 35 yards which crashed off the cross bar and Fairlie showed her striker’s alertness to be first on hand to head the ball into the net. Despite a number of efforts on goal and in particular two fantastic saves by Ashley Carse to deny City’s Abbi Grant and a Fairlie shot cleared off the line after she had rounded the goalkeeper, it was not until the 41st minute that City doubled their advantage. Neat passing from Lauren McMurchie found the excellent run of Fairlie and the lively striker cut the ball back for City’s all-time top goalscorer Suzanne Lappin to do what she does best and Lappin
made no mistake hitting home from the just outside the 6 yard box.
After the half time break the pattern of play continued, with City controlling possession and pushing for gaps behind the flat back five making up the Hutchie rearguard. After denying Grant twice in the first period, Hutchie keeper Carse could not do so a third time as the young City striker collected the ball well in the penalty box before shooting past Carse and into the bottom corner on 61 minutes. Less than ten minutes later, Lappin made it 4-0 finishing off one of the best moves of the game. Substitute Leanne Ross made her impact coming off the bench as she sent a defence splitting pass through for Fairlie who once again set up team mate Lappin to strike low and hard into the bottom corner from just inside the box. Ross and Lappin were involved once more as City scored number five on the 80 minute mark. A well hit corner by Ross was met by a trademark run from Lappin and she sent a powerful header past Carse to ensure a comfortable win for the Scottish Champions.
Commenting on the win and performance, City Assistant Head Coach Donald Jennow said: "Today was a good start to our League campaign and the first eleven reflected the good work done by those not on international duty in the build up to the game. In the first half we tried to make the best of the conditions which in my opinion are not up to Premier League standards. We created good chances but were not as clinical as we could have been. The second half was an improvement. Our midfield stepped up higher when we had the ball which allowed more sustained pressure and the movement of our forward players was far more dynamic. Hutchison Vale have added some quality to their squad but our back line dealt well with any threat posed on the counter. Our attention now turns to the Champions League and I know that everyone in the squad and the club as a whole is as excited as I am about the next two weeks."
Next up for City is the biggest game in the club’s history as the team take on French giants Paris Saint Germain in the quarter finals of the Champions League on Sunday 22nd March, 4.05pm at Excelsior Stadium Airdrie. Tickets can be obtained from the turnstiles, priced £10 adult, £5 Under 16’s.