Match Report by Campbell Finlayson.
Hibs reached the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup Final once again after a comfortable win over Motherwell at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling.
Goals from Amy Muir, Colette Cavanagh, Siobhan Hunter and Rachael Boyle secured a 4-1 victory and a place in November’s final against Glasgow City at Tynecastle.
The Edinburgh side began the game brightly and came within inches of taking a second minute lead when Cavanagh fired a shot off the underside of the bar. They did have the ball in the net through Jamie-Lee Napier, but her effort was ruled out for offside.
Further chances followed with Boyle hitting the post and Siobhan Hunter forcing Well’ keeper Anna Vincenti into a save from distance, but they did take the lead soon after with Boyle’s corner being met by the head of Muir who found the corner.
Napier and Cavanagh were proving a handful for the Motherwell defenders and it was those two who linked up to double Hibs’ advantage, Napier flicking the ball to the winger who jinked into the box and sent the ball low beyond Vincenti.
Efforts from Chelsea Cornet and Boyle forced Vincenti into saves before Amy Gallacher fired Cavanagh’s cross over the bar and Boyle saw her cross pushed against the post.
Hibs did get a third before the break though, their top scorer in the cup this season Siobhan Hunter, getting on the end of a corner to send the ball into the back of the net.
At the start of the second half, Motherwell eventually managed to test Jenna Fife in the Hibs goal with a Chelsea McEachran half-volley which the keeper managed to gather.
Within a minute though, Hibs had the chance to add a fourth when Lori Gardner was harshly adjudged to have fouled Cavanagh in the box. Boyle saw her spot-kick saved by Vincenti, but she managed to poke the rebound over the line to increase the lead.
Both sides came close to scoring soon after, with Amy Gallacher hitting the post for Hibs while Gardner was denied a goal at the other end by Fife.
The Women of Steel did grab a consolation however, when Gardner found Abby Callaghan unmarked in the middle to send the ball into the net via the post.
Muir and substitute Siobhan Higgins had chances for the Hibees, Muir firing over before Higgins header went past the post while Lauren Davidson saw her shot come back off the woodwork and Lia Tweedie was denied a goal by replacement goalkeeper Morgan Hunter.
Hibs will face Glasgow City on Sunday 24th November in the final in the capital but it’s back to league action before then as both Motherwell and Hibs face Rangers, Well’ on Wednesday night at the Hummel Training Centre before Hibs welcome them to Ainslie Park next Sunday.
Hibernian: Fife; Notley, Hunter, Michie; Muir, Cornet, McGregor, Boyle (Leishman, 61), Cavanagh (Davidson, 61); Napier (Tweedie, 71), Gallacher (Higgins, 71)
Motherwell: Vincenti (Hunter, 86); Doran-Barr, Rolph, Rafferty, Roberts; Adams; Gardner (Cullan, 83), McEachran (Otto, 79), Cairney, Callaghan; Munro (Fyfe, 63)
Attendance: 237
Hibernian LFC Head Coach, Grant Scott:
Mothewell FC Head Coach, Donald Jennow:
Hibernian LFC Midfielder, Rachel Boyle:
Hibernian LFC Defender, Amy Muir:
Motherwell FC Defender, Abby Callaghan:
