Hibs Women 1 Glasgow City 2

Hibernian Women returned to Sky Sports Cup action as they welcomed SPWPL league leaders, Glasgow City, to Meadowbank for a semi-final clash as the Hibees aimed to reach back-to-back League Cup finals. 

It was not to be for the Hibees on this occasion, as Glasgow City left the capital with a 2-1 victory. After a tight first half, City took the lead in stoppage-time of the first 45 as Nicole Kozlova opened the scoring. They then doubled their lead in the 55th minute as Chloe Warrington brilliantly finished well into the top corner.

Hibs got a goal back through a great free-kick from the edge of the box from Kirsten Reilly in the 63rd minute; however, after that, the girls could not grab an equaliser in a frustrating evening at Meadowbank. 

Joelle Murray made three changes from her side that defeated Hamilton Academical at Meadowbank in the league last Sunday; with Reilly, Rosie Livingstone and Kathleen McGovern coming into the side, replacing Jess Fitzgerald, Hannah Jordan and Kirsty Morrison. 

The opening chance of the game came the way of the Hibees after five minutes, as a powerful challenge on McGovern, 30 yards from goal, led the ball to land at the feet of Livingstone, who created space for a shot from a tight angle and rattled the near post, with a great right-footed effort. This then rebounded to Tegan Bowie, but she blazed over the bar. 

Just one minute later, City had their first chance of the game as Lisa Forrest played Kozlova through on goal to go one-on-one with Noa Schumacher, but the American goalkeeper made herself big and saved well to keep the tie level after an exciting start to affairs. 

There then weren’t many chances in the game until 20 minutes later, when City’s Emily Whelan skipped past Scarlett Herron well and created room for a shot, but her tame effort rolled into the hands of Schumacher. 

Hibs pushed to open the scoring in the 33rd minute as Bowie did brilliantly well to break down the left-hand side, which then led to her delivering a dangerous low cross into the centre of the box to McGovern, but she couldn’t get a sweet enough connection on the ball, and her effort went wide of the post. 

City threatened to open the scoring late in the first half, as Natalia Wrobel did well to find her way through the Hibs defence and create space for a shot from range, but this strike sailed over Schumacher’s crossbar.

However, just moments later, the deadlock was broken in the singular minute of additional time that was allocated at the end of the first half, as a direct ball over the top of the Hibs defence by City goalkeeper Erin Clachers found its way to Kozlova, who then poked the ball into the bottom-left corner past Schumacher to put the visitors ahead and disrupt the Hibs team talk at half-time. 

Glasgow City made the first change of the match at the half-time interval, with Sofia Maataa being replaced by Warrington.

Glasgow City went close to doubling their lead in the 49th minute, as Koslova broke through on goal on the right side of the box and struck an effort from close range on goal, but this was saved brilliantly onto the post by Schumacher. However, this rebounded back to Koslova, who aimed to finish home from close range, but this was superbly cleared off the line by Eliis Notley, which then led to another rebound to Koslova, who then attempted to finish home again, but Schumacher saved well again to keep the deficit to just one. 

Hibs aimed to grab an equaliser as immense pressure from McGovern led to an attempted direct ball from Clachers cannon off the Scotland striker; however, the ball did not reach the goal and was then easily dealt with by the City defence on 55 minutes. 

Just three minutes later, City doubled their lead as substitute Warrington brilliantly rifled in a left-footed shot into the top-left corner to extend the visitors' lead in the semi-final. 

However, the Hibees replied in fabulous fashion, as Kirsten Reilly beautifully curled a free kick from 20 yards out, from the left-hand side of the pitch into the top left corner, to halve Hibs’s deficit after 63 minutes. 

Despite late pressure from the Hibees, they couldn’t do enough to grab the equaliser they desperately craved, and Hibs bowed out of the Sky Sports Cup at the semi-final stage. 

The Hibees now look forward to a return to league action; welcoming Motherwell to Meadowbank next Sunday in our final home pre-split fixture.

Hibernian Women XI: Schumacher, Herron, Grant (Jordan 59'), Adams, McGovern (Fitzgerald 64'), Notley, Livingstone, Doran-Barr (Papadopoulos 59'), Boyle (Morrison 90+1'), Bowie, Reilly.

Unused Substitutes: Armitage, Hunter, Boughton, Taylor, Ramsay.