Ayr United 0-7 Celtic FC Women
Celtic FC Women earned their place in the fourth round draw with a decisive 7-0 victory over Ayr United. This was the first game in our defence of the Scottish Cup and the Ghirls certainly looked like a side determined to win the cup for the third season in a row.
It was an early lead for the Ghirls as Natalie Ross scored out first goal of the year. She received the ball in the box, managed to turn and found the back of the net. Ten minutes later, Natalie Ross helped us out again as she won a freekick on the edge of the area. Amy Gallacher stepped up, saw her chance, and launched an accurate shot into the top corner of the Ayr goal.
Gallacher extended our lead early in the second half as she knocked it over the goalkeeper. Shen Mengyu was up next, and she hit from outside of the area with a shot that flew past all of the Ayr defenders and into the bottom corner.
Colette Cavanagh got our fifth goal, before Ross secured a brace for herself with ten minutes left to play. With the final touch of the game, Sydney Cummings shot from distance and found the top corner of the net. An absolute screamer to mark Cummings’ return to the squad!
Speaking to Celtic TV after the match, Cummings said: “It was nice to be back out there after injury. When you come back, you are just buzzing to get on.”
What a way to kick off the year! Looking past the performance though, some questions are being asked…
Where is our new manager? We have still had no word on any progress being made in the search for Fran’s successor. Fair play to Haley – he set this team up well today and we came away with an important win, but we need a long-term solution, especially while we’re still in the title race.
Some player concerns too – Kit Loferski was not included in the match day squad. If she is still nowhere to be seen for our next game, then people will likely start to become concerned, but for now, we can just hope that she isn’t 100% fit.
Shen Menglu was also absent from the squad. There has been no word on if she is injured or if it simply a case of fitness, but we can hope that she will be ready when we get back to league action.
It’s not all bad though, as a player made her noticeable return to the squad. Lucy Ashworth-Clifford was on the bench today, and although she didn’t play any minutes, it’s great to see her name again! No doubt she will be a game changer for us.
The fourth-round draw will be made tomorrow (Monday January 8th) at 5:30pm. It will take place at Hampden Park, with the draw being made by footballing legend Rose Reilly. The draw will be available to watch on the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup official YouTube channel.
Our possible opponents include the likes of theRangers, Glasgow City, Partick Thistle, and Hearts.
Jessica Elliott
