Celtic 3 Aberdeen 1…

“Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow…” Louisa May Alcott wrote those words in Little Women. And that’s how Aberdeen’s players must have been feeling today after going toe-to- toe with Celtic this afternoon under fine autumnal sunshine in North Lanarkshire, before finding they ran out of luck in the last eleven minutes as Clarissa Larisey sprung from the subs bench to win this encounter for the Hoops.

The Dons bravely denied one-way Celtic traffic today and when your luck isn’t in, it’s unlikely to be expected to change away from home to Celtic, as five straight SWPL defeats for Aberdeen had them hovering two points off the top flight trapdoor prior to kick off at the Penny Cars Stadium.

In truth Aberdeen had been somewhat lucky to deny Celtic as long as they did before grabbing the opening goal themselves just six minutes before the break. Celtic after all forced three corner kicks in the opening six minutes alone and Gilmour in the Aberdeen goal lived a charmed life as Wellings firstly couldn’t quite get her foot around an early chance and then found her way to goal blocked after ten minutes.

Celtic’s pressing game was working well and opportunities knocked, however both Wellings and Chloe Craig were both unlucky to miss further opportunities in the opening twenty minutes as first Jacynta and then Tyler Toland tried to turn provider. A minute later and Gilmour was again the saviour for the Dons as Shen and Chance linked to supply Wellings again only for the Dons ‘keeper to once more prevail.

Olivia Chance continued to try and supply the ammunition for Charlie Wellings who saw an angled drive on this occasion evade the keeper, but also the goal as the ball went wide. Then ten minutes from half time Shen fed Wellings, again after good work from Craig, however Celtic’s main goal threat this time cleared the bar.

And then came the sucker punch as the Dons emerged from the shadows of weeks of bad luck and into their moment basking in the sun as Celtic gifted the Dons a chance with a poor attempted pass back and Aberdeen’s Bayley Hutchison took advantage to score past Rachael Johnstone.

We lead at the break! The Dons have soaked up plenty of pressure before Bayley Hutchison finished off a good move on the counter attack. COYR!

HT’ | 🟢 CEL 0-1 ABE 🔴 | #StandFree pic.twitter.com/7AnPXMtRQz

— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) November 21, 2021

Still Celtic have been here before this season, and there was plenty of time for Fran Alonso to find a way to get his side back into this game, but once again it was going to take another half-time shake up and motivational speech from the Spaniard if the Hoops weren’t going to drop points in a title race in which they were already trailing three points behind Glasgow City and five points behind theRangers.

This was going to the most vital half-time team talk of Fran Alonso’s season, and there had already been the need for a few of those already. He was about to prove he could pull it off, yet there would be some patience required.

Alonso’s first action was to replace Chloe Warrington with Tegan Bowie who can feel herself a little hard done by to once again spend the opening 45 minutes watching on from the sidelines.

And within five minutes of the restart Celtic fashioned two good chances to score as Gilmour once again saved from a Wellings effort on the volley before Olivia Chance put the ball over from close range.

This was certainly a good reaction from The Hoops and in particular Tegan Bowie who was firing crosses into the Aberdeen area, that in turn encouraged her teammates, as evidenced by a Jacynta shot that came back of the crossbar and Craig couldn’t head home the rebound, before a strong effort from outside the box again by Chloe Craig went over the bar. Surely a goal for the efforts was in the post? With only half an hour left on the clock something was going to have to happen soon.

Yet for the following ten minutes Celtic toiled and with only a Shorts headed effort dealt with by strength in numbers from the Dons defence, Alonso once again turned to his bench as Izzy Atkinson was called into action to replace Maria Olafsdottir Gros and Chloe Craig made way for the introduction Clarissa Larisey. It would prove an inspired decision.

Larisey and Wellings have regularly shown a good understanding this season and within minutes were trying to combine in a crowded box but found themselves unable to break through as the sands of time were now running out for the Celts. But Larisey has shown a determination allied to her undoubted ability since signing in the summer, and it was the Canadian’s graft that rewarded Celtic with a 79th minute leveller as sheer determination ensured she fought for a through ball and tapped the ball past Gilmour who at long last was left to pick the ball from the back of her net.

Fran Alonso now sensed the game was there for the taking and chose to turn the screw adding the creativity of the returning Sarah Harkes to the fray replacing Shen Mengyu and hooking Jacynta to be replaced by the physical presence of Kathleen McGovern.

Within six minutes Celtic’s super-sub Clarissa Larisey ensured she’s unlikely to be picking up skelves on the bench for a few weeks to come, as that relationship with Charlie Wellings led to the Celts taking the lead with four minutes left when Wellings provided Larissey with the pass that was slotted past Gilmour to complete the comeback!

And Celtic weren’t finished yet. A fair reflection on the score line was soon completed as Cheyenne Shorts headed home from a fine Tyler Toland cross to ensure Celtic won this game by two clear goals.

This was a massive win for Celtic. In a match that started in bright sunshine, dusk was descending at the final whistle. Yet the sun still shines on Celtic’s title challenge as Fran Alonso went all in with his in-game changes and was handsomely rewarded by a group of players who simply give everything for the cause week in week out.

With belief like that, this title race has a long way to go, and Glasgow City will also be looking on a little cautiously at this result ahead of a Cup Final in two weeks’ time. It will take a similar effort from the Hoops to bring home silverware in a fortnight, but you wouldn’t put it past this team to do just that!

As for Aberdeen. You have to feel for them. They outperformed recent form, yet still had to head back to the shadows after 79 minutes of thinking the autumnal sun was theirs to bask in.

Niall J