Glasgow City cemented their lead at the top of the SWPL with a resounding 5-0 win over Celtic at the Excelsior Stadium.
With City’s Champions League opponents, Eskilstuna United in the stands watching, the reigning Champions produced one of their performances of the season and could have scored more in a very dominant display over third placed Celtic.
City should have taken the lead in the opening minute as Clare Shine laid an inch perfect pass along the 6 yard box, but Erin Cuthbert somehow shot wide, with the goal at her mercy.
On 8 minutes, Shine got her side off the mark as she finished past Megan Cunningham in the Celtic nets after great wing play from Fiona Brown down the right.
Haley Rosen made it 2-0 firing home a neat cutback from Cuthbert and Leanne Ross thought she had scored a curling shot into the top corner to become City’s all time record goalscorer only for Cunningham to pull off a great save and tip the ball over the bar.
Cunningham again kept her side in the game with a point blank save from a Rosen header as the teams went into the half time break with City two goals to the good.
In the second period, City continued to punish the visitors and could have had a third as Brown raced past the Celtic defence, rounded Cunningham, but saw her effort come back off the post, which team mate Hayley Lauder could only fire over the bar. Celtic Captain Kelly Clark cleared a Clare Shine effort off the goal line, before City eventually made it 3-0 on 60 minutes as Haley Rosen fired a cracker of a shot into the top corner from 25 yards.
Fifteen minutes later it was a hat-trick for Rosen as she turned home a Brown cross. Erin Cuthbert rounded off a great City performance with a fifth goal finishing well into the bottom corner for her 17th goal of the season.
Commenting on the win, City Head Coach Scott Booth said, “I am really delighted for the players today. I felt they were aggressive, sharp and stuck to the game plan and against a very good side came out well on top.”
There is an international break next week, but City are back in action against Spartans on 25th September. Tickets for Glasgow City’s Champions League home match against Eskilstuna United are on sale at glasgowcityfc.co.uk.
Reported by Glasgow City FC
Pictures: Andy Buist & Tommy Hughes
