Celtic FC Women 2 Hearts 0
It was an injury and international call up impacted Celtic FC Women’s team side who returned to SWPL1 action against Hearts this afternoon, on the back of a Glasgow Derby victory over theRangers last weekend in the Scottish Cup.
Despite the loss of the likes of captain Kelly Clark, creative force Liv Chance and top scorer Charlie Wellings Fran Alonso was still able to field a strong enough team to see of their Edinburgh challengers at a windswept Penny Cars stadium this afternoon, but it was a day for patience as the Hoops overcame both the elements and a stubborn Hearts goalkeeper.
Celtic piled on the pressure early and forced five quick corners in succession, and as quickly as the opening minute the Hoops almost took the lead, when Olafsdottir Gros won a corner kick which was swung in by Harkes, but Shorts’ header was just off target. However, it was a route to goal that proved fruitful moments later as in the sixth minute a Tyler Toland corner was met in determined fashion by Caitlin Hayes who rose to direct a headed effort beyond Parker-Smith to put the Hoops one up.
Credit must go to Hearts from then on in however as they saw the game through to half time with no further concessions, with a strong and disciplined defensive performance that limited the Celts to set pieces and long-range efforts in the early stages, but Celtic had them penned in and continued patiently to prod and probe with tidy patterns of play.
Despite the Hoops patience however the only real clear opportunity in the opening 45 minutes came when Mengyu Shen forced Parker-Smith to parry into a save from a tight angled shot and there soon followed a penalty claim for a handball in the box however the referee was correct to refuse to point to the spot.
If the first half was all about the elements frustrating Celtic, the second was all about Charlotte Parker-Smith in the Hearts goal blocking Celtic, as the Hoops drove for a second goal that would see off stubborn Hearts resistance.
Firstly, Jacynta was denied straight after the interval after a wonderfully bending run saw her get a shot off at goal only for Parker-Smith to save brilliantly at the near post, before seven minutes later a free for all in midfield ultimately saw Shen released, who in turn found Clarissa Larisey who saw her first time shot slice just wide of the post. Shen then had an opportunity of her own to score after 72 minutes but again the Chinese midfielder’s effort went inches wide.
It took it’s time coming but Celtic did seal the points with seven minutes left, and when it came it was a wonderful team effort, as Chole Craig and Annie Timoney linked well on the right before the ball was worked via Shen, Larisey and Harkes to the opposite flank, where Tegan Bowie delivered a fantastic back post delivery that looked to incredibly have evaded everyone, however Timoney kept the ball alive, managed to cut the ball back to Larisey, who looked to have scored only to be blocked before Shen moved in to finish the job, but even then it appeared to require a final deflection from a Hearts defender to see the ball eventually slip past Parker-Smith for Celtic’s second goal and the deserved winner.
There was time for one final chance for Hearts, however a wonderful Chloe Craig recovery tackle and the joint intervention of Anna Vicenti and Chloe Warrington ultimately cleared Celtic’s lines, preserved a deserved clean sheet and ensured there would be no way back for Hearts in this one.
This was far from a classic game but it was one Celtic deserved the three points for resilience, patience and a spirit that saw them drive to grab a second goal and confirm the three points despite an inspired goalkeeping performance from Hearts ‘keeper Parker Smith and the sort of windswept conditions that always make football a challenge.
📹 Manager @FranAlonsoFA after the #Ghirls‘ solid 2⃣-0⃣ victory over Hearts!
🗣️ “We always aim for the best and want to score as many goals as possible.”#SWPL 🍀 #CelticFC pic.twitter.com/fA3QEwea4u
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) February 20, 2022
Fran Alonso will be delighted to see this one out with a couple of goals to spare, and it vindicates the Celtic manager’s decision not to request a match postponement despite falling foul to late international call-ups, coupled with injuries to key players, as Celtic now cut the gap on second placed Glasgow City to two points and to four on theRangers at the top of SWPL1.
Niall J
📹 Striker @LariseyClarissa‘s thoughts on the #Ghirls 2⃣-0⃣ win over Hearts!#SWPL 🍀 #CelticFC pic.twitter.com/uRWLyz6KiP
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) February 20, 2022
