Well the dust has settled after the last ball was kicked in the penultimate weekend in the incredibly exciting SWPL1 season. We had all sorts of drama today.
Celtic failed to add to their 2-0 half-time lead against Hibs, with the Celtic goalkeeper Pam Tajonar an absolute spectator in that second half…then Hibs scored a good goal five minutes into to six added, then nearly added a second which would have been devastating for our Ghirls.
The Celtic Star was at the game and filmed the sides coming off the pitch at half-time. Watch this and you’ll see why Hana Kerner’s season is over as she hobbles past with a full leg brace on. Natalie Ross was also walking about with a stookie on her arm after fracturing it last weekend. And Lucy Ashford-Clifford was happy to show us her knee with her scar from the operation she had for a ACL injury she suffered earlier in the season.
There was also a player who popped up to the hamburger van at Meadowbank Stadium and came back with an order of chips! If Fran Alonso asks we’ll say it was a Hibs player!
Content Creators were harder to find than injured numerous injured Celtic players but we did have a chat with Claire from Cynic Women – in the pic below – and she actually got an invite to Celtic’s VIP event up in the Skybox on Thursday night but decided to give it a miss to go in beside the Green Brigade. Some Ghirl is Claire, top class. She was however amazed that The Celtic Star was completely patched, but you have to remember that these things happen all the time. It’s Celtic we’re talking about.
The worry for Fran Alonso is the injury list, today we got away with it – just – but with the manager making early changes, to protect his forwards for next week, there was a noticeable dip in quality in the Celtic side and Hibs almost took full advantage.
Driving back from Meadowbank, Radio Scotland gleefully reported that theRangers Women were 4-0 up at half-time and were just one behind Celtic in terms of goal difference with the second half to come. The next time I checked it was up to 5-0 so we were all square then the very next tweet was least expected of the weekend – Penalty to Rangers!
So they are +1 on Celtic going into the last weekend with both teams level on points. Glasgow City were 1-0 up against Partick Thistle before a shock equaliser rattled their cage. But they got a late winner to move back to the top of the table on an day when City started top, then Celtic hit the summit before theRangers overtook Celtic to go into the lead thanks to that penalty to Rangers moment and then City leapfrogged the other two to end the day back where they started. And it all goes down to the wire next weekend.
Last Thursday night as the Content Creators partied up in the Skybox, the club reported that a record attendance of 9553 was set for a domestic match in Scotland. That record won’t last long, you would expect because theRangers today announced that their game against Glasgow City is being moved from Broadwood Stadium to Ibrox (admission just £1) on the afternoon when Celtic will kick-off at exactly the same time against Hearts at our ‘home’ venue at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie (admission £8).
Celtic won’t listen to a word we say but if any of their Content Creating chums are reading this – doubtful because it’s about women’s football – maybe they could get onto the club and suggest that Celtic move the game against Hearts to Celtic Park? We’ll do our bit and let the Green Brigade and The Bhoys know?
ON SUNDAY ANY ONE OF THREE TEAMS CAN WIN THE LEAGUE. Here’s how it can happen for each team.
For Glasgow City – They have to beat theRangers or if Hearts can get something against Celtic, a draw would do. But their task has got significantly tougher as theRangers have made the shrewd decision to play at Ibrox and they will be looking to smash the record set by Celtic last Thursday night.
For theRangers – They need to beat Glasgow City and hope that their +1 goal difference advantage is enough. That is going to be a super competitive game with Glasgow City needing to win too, so it doesn’t have the feel of a big score victory about it. Indeed it could even end honours even and empty handed as the honours go elsewhere!. If theRangers fail to win a defeat means Glasgow City would be champions and a draw would mean that Celtic would win the league, with a victory over Hearts.
For Celtic – It’s all about goals. In the away match against Hearts in the split Celtic won 6-0. That kind of victory against the only team of the four not in with a shout of finishing the day as Champions would mean that Celtic’s chances of taking the title would be very high. Glasgow City are going to find Ibrox a tough place to go and theRangers are probably the better anyway.
Simply put, if Celtic win and theRangers win it comes down to goal difference and Fran Alonso will have his side on full throttle for this one. If Glasgow City win at Ibrox, fair play to them, they are the Champions. If it’s a draw at Ibrox and Celtic win then we are the Champions my friends.
Everyone who was at Celtic Park last Thursday night seemed to enjoy it, did they not? Plenty more watched on television and probably wished they’d made the effort to go along. If Celtic move the Hearts game to Celtic Park the motivation that the crowd will provide will be incredible for the players, as we saw last week. That’s probably going to happen at Ibrox too (which ironically enough helps Celtic) so Celtic need to give Fran Alonso’s every possible advantage and that means moving the game to Celtic Park.
It will all save the helicopter flying all the way to Airdrie.
