Aberdeen continued their impressive SWFL1 North form with a commanding 8-0 victory over lastseason’s Division 2 champions Montrose.
Report/Image: Aberdeen FC
The home side had the first attempt on goal in the third minute and it was a sign of things to come as Francesca Ogilvie came in off the left to fire a shot straight at the Montrose goalkeeper.
The Dons broke the deadlock after 17 minutes as they made good on their positive start to the match.
Ogilvie’s free-kick caused confusion amongst the Montrose defence as the ball bounced in the penalty area. FORREST reacted quickest in the box as she nipped in to flick the ball past the keeper to put her team in front.
Aberdeen kept up the pressure with most of the play taking place inside the Montrose half and the Reds soon doubled their lead. Ogilvie sent a corner from the right side high towards the back post with 24-minutes on the clock. Eilidh SHORE lost her marker at the far post and sent a looping header into the back of the Montrose net.
Just as Montrose looked to mount some kind of response to going two-down, the Dons went three-in-front. Shore broke up an attack from the visitors inside her own half and swiftly released Ogilvie on the counter. As her team-mates looked to join the attack Ogilvie held the ball up before playing it inside for Amy Phillips. PHILLIPS shot from outside the box deceived the Montrose keeper as it spun into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Montrose tried to rally and the game became increasingly more physical as the half went on, with both sides battling for the ball in midfield. Aberdeen always had the upper-hand though and they were rewarded with a fourth goal on the stroke of half-time.
Shore set up Phillips inside the Montrose area and her well-struck shot was parried by the Montrose keeper. OGLIVIE was on hand in the area to pounce on the loose ball and fire into the net to send the home-side in 4-0 up at the interval.
HT: Aberdeen 4 Montrose 0
Aberdeen clearly didn’t want to settle on their four-goal lead as they started the second half on the front-foot with Shore having an effort cleared off the line before Johan Fraser sent an effort over the crossbar.
Montrose managed to win themselves a few corners as they tried to find a way back into the game but any hope of that was extinguished in the 63rd minute as Aberdeen scored their fifth.
Francesca Ogilvie was again involved in the goal as she sent in a dangerous cross from the left. FRASER had drifted into the penalty-area from her right-wing position and got herself into the perfect position to head home from the centre of the six-yard box.
It was 6-0 just five-minutes later as Shore sent a lobbed pass over the top of the Montrose defence.
Substitute Bayley HUTCHISON had been on the pitch less than ten-minutes as she got on the end of Shore’s pass and made it six.
Despite the one-sided score-line there was no drop-off in passion, as the game continued to be a feisty battle with both teams getting stuck-in all over the field.
Having matched the visitors for physicality, Aberdeen’s quality on the ball told and they scored a seventh in the 74th minute. The ever-impressive OGILVIE was sent clear through the heart of the Montrose defence and she rounded the goalkeeper before slotting home her second of the afternoon.
Aberdeen didn’t want to settle as the continued to press forward and they made it 8-0 with ten minutes left. OGILVIE again found herself running in behind the Montrose defence as she got on the end of a through ball before completing her hat-trick with a composed finish.
It wasn’t all good news for Aberdeen as they were forced to play out the last few minutes with ten players. Captain Kelly Forrest picked up her second yellow card of the game, for what the referee felt was a show of dissent, and was sent-off with five minutes to go.
The Dons were able to cope for the remainder of the game as they continued their unbeaten start to the league season and stay clear at the top of the table.
FT: Aberdeen 8 Montrose 0
ABERDEEN
Anna BLANCHARD, Deirdre O’RIORDAN, Loren CAMPBELL, Kelly FORRREST(c), Carrie DOIG, Natasha BRUCE, Eilidh SHORE, Johan FRASER (Sophie BROWN 69mins), Francesca OGILVIE, Amy PHILLIPS, Sophie JAMIESON (Bayley HUTCHISON 60mins)
Sub not used: Chloe GOVER
REACTION:
Lauren CAMPBELL: “It was quite a physical game from Montrose which is what we expected to be honest but after a frantic first twenty minutes we really started to play our football. We calmed the pace down and picked them off really well in the end. We were in four nil at half time and we spoke about consistency as we often have one half better than the other, so to go out and win four nil again in the second half and keep a clean sheet, we were really chuffed with it”.
Francesca OGILVIE: “I’m obviously happy with the hat-trick and also setting some goals as well. The team picked it up in the second half and even when the captain got sent-off we kept our cool. Our one and two-touch passing was really good and we were getting into wide areas and scoring goals from that as well. Its been good for me coming in and getting a few starts and a few wins as well. The team have been very welcoming to me coming in and helping me on and off the pitch”.
