Improving Hearts no pushovers as Fran Alonso faces must win Capital Challenge

Celtic FC Women have an absolutely crucial SWPL encounter against bottom of the table Hearts at the Oriam National Performance Centre in Edinburgh. Celtic won the corresponding fixture 10-0 last season but despite their league position Hearts have not shipped anywhere near that amount of goals this season.

Looking over their recent results Hearts lost the Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road in front of over 5000 supporters at the end of September by 3-0.  Hibs are a decent side and yesterday were drawn against Celtic in the SWPL Cup semi-finals. The other game sees Spartans play Glasgow City and both semi-finals will be played back-to-back at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling on Sunday 14 November.

That weekend is the International break weekend with Scotland playing on the Friday (away to Moldova) and the Monday (at home to Denmark) so it’s a perfect chance for the Celtic Support to get along and support the team.

After that defeat to Hibs – who incidentally are the current SWPL Cup Holders – Hearts travelled up to SWPL2 Champions Aberdeen and recorded a fine 3-2 away win on 3 October.  Next up they played Glasgow City at home and restricted the current Champions to a 2-0 win.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment wold have been another 2-0 defeat, this time away to Motherwell. Hearts would have fancied their chances in that one. Now it’s Celtic’s turn and Fran Alonso is likely to freshen his side up and keep as much in the legs as he possibly can for the weekend’s crucial league encounter with theRangers at Penny Cars Stadium in Airdrie.

The last thing Alonso needs is another match like the 2-2 draw with Spartans – that took until the 93rd minute before Charlie Wellings rescued a point. Agonisingly for the Celtic support, the team created another chance to win the match in the closing seconds but Izzy Atkinson’s effort was well saved.

Those two dropped points are the only ones spilled by any of the top three against other sides this season and could prove costly come the end of the season. Something very similar happened last year too with Celtic inexplicably dropping two points in a 2-2 draw to Forfar Farmington who actually raced into a 2-0 lead before two late Celtic goals rescued a point. Celtic battered their goal all afternoon that day but lady luck had deserted the team, until the never say die spirit in the Celtic FC Women side  rescued a point.

There’s been no Media Conferences this week ahead of the Hearts game, basically down to time restraints between the game at Murray Park and the trip to Edinburgh tomorrow evening, which is a must win match for Fran Alonso’s side. Hopefully we’ll speak to Fran later in the week and can ask him to remind us of his record against theRangers!

Meanwhile here’s a chance to watch Sunday’s Highlights from the SWPL Cup quarter final over theRangers on Sunday over at Murray Park…and in particular enjoy the “Whit’s the Goalie Daein’ Tom?” moment that settled the match!