Celtic headed to Ainslie Park in Edinburgh to face Spartans this afternoon for their first SWPL away fixture since league football returned following the enforced Covid-19 Shutdown.
With a defeat to Glasgow City followed by a 3-0 win over Hearts, the Celts found themselves chasing a five-point deficit in the title race. As such this afternoon’s tie, with a midweek clash against theRangers, rumoured to be at Celtic Park, in midweek looming large, was going to be vital if the Hoops were to claw themselves back into title contention.
There were returns for Chloe Logan, Caitlin Hayes, Lisa Robertson and Anna Filbey to the starting line-up and a welcome sight of Kathleen McGovern returning to the matchday squad with a place on the bench.
Pre-match Head coach Fran Alonso stated he expected to face a tough team, one dangerous on the counter-attack and a physical battle, hinting if Celtic were to win this afternoon, then it would have to be earned. The Celtic head coach then would have been surprised as anyone just how quickly the Celts grabbed the opening goal.
Inside thirty seconds Spartans were calling for a penalty as Galbraith fell to the floor under a challenge by Hayes, it wasn’t given and within sixty seconds Celtic were in front. A powerful drive down the right side for the returning Filbey found Sarah Ewens making a superbly timed front post run and the deft finished matched the fine approach play to put the Celts one up.
📷 Former Spartan @sarahewens19 celebrates with her @CelticFCWomen teammates after scoring her side’s opening goal during their 1-5 @SWPL 1 win at Ainslie Park. pic.twitter.com/QzplfOPstf
— Cllr Swivel Eyed Broon (@Mr_Mark_Brown) April 18, 2021
Celtic had started as if they had a point to prove, the intensity and movement on an off the ball was just what Alonso would have been asking for in a game of such importance and they came close to going two up seven minutes in as left back Chloe Warrington found herself right of centre of the 18 yard box and drove a twenty yarder inches wide of Spartans ‘keeper Harrison’s left hand post. Not a bad right peg for a left back!
Filby then turned the screw with a strike that forced a smart block from Harrison who then nearly sold the Spartans jersey’s flapping from the resulting corner kick but Celtic couldn’t quite turn the ball home.
Spartans who seemed to lack the physicality to match Celtic in the middle of the park had one chance a quarter of an hour in, as Alana Marshall almost converted direct from a corner kick – a warning that wasn’t heeded later on – however it would have been harsh on Celtic and Jodie Bartle in particular who was clearly shoved off the ball when trying to shield the ball and claim a goal kick.
At this point Fran Alonso’s only complaint on the Celtic performance would have been there was only one goal to show for his side’s efforts, but that was soon to be remedied. With 26 minutes played the impressive Jacynta found Sarah Ewens making a clever run towards the corner flag. Ewens laid the ball back beautifully for Chloe Craig who had little pressure placed on her by the Spartans defence and had all the time she needed to pick out Sarah Teegarden between two static Spartans defenders to place a gentle header into the net for the American’s first competitive goal after a year out with injury.
Despite the two-goal advantage there were further opportunities for Sarah Ewens who twice shot off target, one in particular from a superb pick-out by Rachel Donaldson really should have been converted, and Jacynta with a fierce effort just wide of the post, before a Spartans enforced scramble in the Celtic box served as a reminder the game was far from over as the Edinburgh side made half-hearted claims for a penalty – again.
And right on half-time those concerns were found to be justified as Alana Marshall once again attempted an audacious swinging corner kick that found the back of the net with Chloe Logan looking culpable to the cross ball again, as she had from an earlier attempt from the same player.
The Celts then went in at the break with a only a single goal lead despite a level of domination, both territorially and physically, that few would have expected prior to the game kicking off, but to lose a goal right on half time was harsh to say the least, though they had been warned in advance.
Half time: Spartans 1 Celtic 2
Celtic started the second half against Spartans at Ainslie Park with a 2-1 lead, but one that far from reflected their first half dominance.
An early goal from Sarah Ewens and a fine header from Sarah Teegarden had Celtic on easy street before a sucker punch goal two minutes into injury time, as Alana Marshall having served warning with a similar effort early in the first, scored directly from a looping corner, yet if Spartans hoped that was to be a route back into the game this afternoon, they had another think coming.
Eight minutes into the second half Celtic restored their two-goal advantage and ended any hopes of Spartans getting any sort of foothold in the game. Anna Filbey got the final touch, as a Chloe Craig cross evaded the efforts of Sarah Ewens to connect, and Harrison in the Spartans goal was left entirely exposed again. A second assist of the afternoon then for Craig but this was to be the least of her impact as the game played out.
Sarah Ewens who seemed to be involved in either the build-up or the end product of everything this afternoon, headed just wide from a Jacynta cross in a rather lacklustre period following the third goal. Celtic freshened things up with Tegan Bowie and Mariah Lee replacing Chloe Warrington and Rachel Donaldson, and Lee introduced herself two minutes later as she got to the by-line and looked to pick out – who else – Sarah Ewens only for the ball to go over the bar.
There was then a further change as goalscorers Teegarden and Ewens made way for Kathleen McGovern and Rebecca McAllister, and the returning McGovern would soon have a part to play in the final result.
Firstly, with nine minutes left to play the superb close control of Jacynta was in evidence once again as she drove through the middle of the Spartans midfield, faced up the defence, before sadly not having the end product to match the creation, as the shot from distance was saved by Harrison in the Spartans goal. Yet within a minute the miss was insignificant as Celtic pushing Spartans deep into their own defensive area kept their opponents penned in with an impressive pressing display as the ball broke to substitute Rebecca McAllister, who with a slight lift of the head found Chloe Craig in space who headed into the net past Harrison from ten yards for 4-1.
And as one sub set up the fourth the other, Kathleen McGovern, played her part in the fifth and final goal as she was brought to the ground for a penalty and Chloe Craig added a second goal to the two earlier assists as the Celtic captain converted the resultant penalty under Harrison for the cherry on the top of the icing on the cake for Celtic. There was one further chance as Hayes headed wide from a ball Bartle had no right to keep alive but did, but it wasn’t to be.
This was a game Celtic had to win and now head to a wonderful opportunity to play at Celtic Park and entertain theRangers looking to grab the title race by the scruff of the neck.
Make no mistake this was a win at all costs game for a Celtic side who until today had stuttered somewhat as league football recommenced.
Spartans have been a side who have habitually defend well and look to hit on the break. Despite that reputation Celtic showed no respect for it as they thumped a side the Celts had managed a fortunate win in the home fixture earlier this season.
Make no mistake this is the kind of game Champions look back on and say ‘that was the one’ where the tide turned. Of course, that will take a repeat performance against theRangers on Wednesday night, but one game at a time, and Celtic were simply superb today and with the opportunity to face their Glasgow and title rivals at Celtic Park in midweek it could well be the tide in this title race could be turning.
Full time: Spartans 1 Celtic 5
Niall J
