Match report by Campbell Finlayson
Glasgow City won the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup for the first time since 2015 as they edged out Hibs in a seven-goal thriller at Tynecastle.
A double from Clare Shine – including a 90th minute winner – helped City on their way to the trophy after goals from Eilish McSorley and Leanne Crichton had cancelled out Hibs’ opener. Amy Gallacher with two and Jamie-Lee Napier scored for the Hibees.
After a quiet opening 20 minutes, Hibs managed to get into the box but Amy Muir’s pass was cut out before City eventually managed to clear. At the other end, Kirsty Howat knocked the ball past Siobhan Hunter before letting fly from distance, with her shot skimming the roof of the net on its way over.
Sam Kerr then forced the first save of the game with a tame effort straight at Jenna Fife before Shine’s powerful strike went just wide as the game finally threatened to open up. Shine then found herself with a chance just inside the area but she could only find the arms of Fife.
It was Hibs who took the lead though just beyond the half hour mark when a bursting run from Napier led to her ball out wide for Colette Cavanagh and she delivered an inviting low cross which Gallacher flicked beyond Lee Alexander.
City took just five minutes to level the scores though when Shannon McGregor managed to flick the ball back towards her own goal where McSorley was waiting to fire it into the roof of the net.
The goals continued to flow and it was City who completed the comeback, Crichton managing to divert Hayley Lauder’s cross over the despairing dive of Fife on 39 minutes.
Hibs made the perfect start to the second half as they levelled the scores, Gallacher freeing McGregor down the right and her cross found Napier who knocked the ball through the legs of Alexander.
They almost scored again three minutes later when Napier crossed for Cavanagh who saw her header well blocked by Alexander, but Hibs wouldn’t have to wait long for number three. Good pressure from Muir forced the keeper into a poor clearance straight to Gallacher and her goalbound effort clipped the foot of Leanne Ross to outfox Alexander and find the net.
A Crichton shot flew just wide before Joelle Murray managed to block Hayley Lauder’s effort as City pressed for the equaliser. The SWPL 1 champions made it 3-3 soon after when Lauder’s corner found Shine unmarked at the back post and she made no mistake in finding the net with a well-placed header.
With extra time looming, City struck to stun Hibs as Shine raced onto Kerr’s ball down the right before cutting inside to find the top corner of the net, with the board indicating three minutes of added time almost immediately afterwards.
Hibs couldn’t find a late equaliser as their cup dominance came to an end with City edging an absolute thriller in the capital.
Glasgow City: Alexander; McLauchlan, Ross, McSorley (Clark, 66), Docherty; Love, Crichton; Howat (Foley, 78), Kerr, Lauder; Shine
Hibernian: Fife; Muir, Hunter, Murray, Michie; Boyle; Gallacher (Davidson, 89), Cornet, McGregor, Cavanagh (Leishman, 73); Napier
Attendance: 3123