Aberdeen strengthened their position at the top of SWFL1 North with a comfortable 9-0 victory over Stonehaven at Aberdeen Sports Village. As the Dons nearest challengers at the summit, Dunfermline, slipped to a defeat at Kelty Hearts the Reds eased themselves six points clear at the top.
Report: Mark Gordon / Image: Aberdeen FC
There were a few changes to the home side line-up after last weekend’s cup heroics against Spartans. Jessica Broadrick and Eva Thomson were cup-tied last week and they returned to the side whilst Lauren Gordon missed out through injury with Sophie Jamieson replacing her in attack.
The game had barely got going when Aberdeen suffered an early blow as Chloe Gover picked up an injury and had to be helped from the field, replaced by Bayley Hutchison. It took the Dons a while to hit their stride early on as Stonehaven defended well, restricting the Reds to long-range efforts by Francesca Ogilvie and Eilidh Shore inside the opening twenty minutes.
The pressure was building though and the breakthrough came on 23-minutes thanks to summer-signing Eva THOMSON. The midfielder broke the deadlock as she sent a long-range effort across Danielle Imray in the Stonehaven goal and into the net for her first Aberdeen goal.
Aberdeen were suddenly playing with a greater threat and almost doubled their lead two-minutes later. Francesca Ogilvie got on the end of a good through-ball by Thomson before cutting inside and bringing a good save out of Imray.
It wasn’t long until the second goal arrived and it came courtesy of a fine strike by Sophie Jamieson. There didn’t seem too much danger when Eilidh Shore played a short pass inside but JAMIESON had other ideas as she sent a dipping effort into the top corner from 25-yards out.
The Dons were hitting their higher gears now, Shore and Ogilvie both failed to get on the end of an excellent Loren Campbell cross as they went in search of number three. The third goal did arrive on 39-minutes and it was another superb strike.
CAMPBELL moved in-field from her usual position out on the right and from 30-yards out she found the net with a stunning effort, made to look all the better by crashing in off the underside of the crossbar.
It was hard not to feel for Stonehaven who had defended well up until the opening goal and the visitors fell further behind in the 42nd-minute. Aberdeen were awarded a free-kick wide on the left-hand side which Ogilvie went across to take. OGILVIE took everyone, including goalkeeper Imray, by surprise by whipping her free-kick into the near-post top corner.
HT: ABERDEEN 4 STONEHAVEN 0
Aberdeen were not in the mood for letting up and they started the second half as they finished the first, firmly on the front-foot. Johan Fraser had a shot saved by Imray before Broadrick fired a long-range effort over the crossbar in the opening minutes of the half.
The home-side made it five after 53-minutes as left-back Deirdre O’Riordan followed fellow full-back Campbell on to the scoresheet. Carrie Doig’s forward pass found Ogilvie and as she was challenged the ball broke to O’RIORDAN who gathered before sending a composed finish into the bottom corner.
The Dons freshened things up just before the hour as captain Kelly Forrest and Natasha Bruce replaced O’Riordan and Jamieson. Bayley Hutchison then almost scored a sixth as she ended a good run by rounding the goalkeeper before being denied by a great Jade Cowie tackle
It wasn’t long before the sixth goal came along and it arrived after 63-minutes. Campbell made a powerful run down the right side, breezing past two Stonehaven defenders before unselfishly squaring to HUTCHISON to tap home from close range.
Hutchison then had an effort off the crossbar after being set-up by a Bruce header in midfield but she got her second after 72 minutes. A corner played into a crowded six-yard box caused a scramble and as Fraser and HUTCHISON both tried to force the ball in, the latter claimed the vital touch.
It could’ve got better just minutes later as the crossbar denied Hutchison her hat-trick but the relentless pressure told as Aberdeen made it eight. A Great move down the left wing culminated in Hutchison setting up SHORE to score inside the box.
It was the same combination that brought about the ninth and final goal of the match. Hutchison retrieved an Ogilvie shot which had been parried by Imray before making her way into the box and squaring for SHORE who had an easy task to tap-in to complete a nine-nil victory.
FT: ABERDEEN 9 STONEHAVEN 0
