City leave it late to overcome Forfar
Glasgow City regained their position at the top of the Premier League table with a last minute winner to defeat Forfar 1-0 win.
City Captain Rachel Corsie finished expertly inside the penalty box, controlling a ball over the top of the Forfar defence as it was beginning to look like City’s relentless pressure on their opponents goal was going to prove fruitless.
City’s first chance of the match came from a free-kick after Jane Ross was fouled on the edge of the box. However, Christie Murray sent the resultant set-piece wide of target.
Five minutes later and Ross was through on goal, but she sent her shot straight at Fiona McNicol in the Forfar nets. It was a decent save from McNicol who was to going to be a thorn in City’s side all day.
Moments later McNicol thwarted Lisa Evans after the City striker played a wall pass with Christie Murray to put her through on goal, but McNicol saved brilliantly with her legs. Jane Ross then headed a Kat Lindner cross wide and then she shot wide from a tight angle.
With ten minutes remaining, Forfar cleared off the line as Christie Murray rounded a defender and then McNicol, before seeing her shot agonisingly blocked by a covering player. As the half time interval approached, City were unlucky yet again as Leanne Ross headed a Evans cross inches wide and Evans herself had a low shot well saved by McNicol diving low to her left.
Half time 0-0.
As the match resumed, City put even more pressure on the Forfar rear guard. A good run by Rachel Corsie, saw the City Captain get on the end of an Evans cross but her header went over the bar. Murray then had another effort saved by McNIcol from inside the box and the keeper saved well from a low Emma Mitchell cross under pressure from Leanne Ross.
Fifteen minutes after the restart, Forfar enjoyed a rare break up field and almost stole a surprise lead. With City questioning for offside, the referee, with no assistants to help, waved play on and Julia Scott raced through on goal. The former Scotland striker was however to be denied by a brilliant save from Claire Johnstone in the City nets who up until now had remained untroubled.
Forfar cleared another shot off the line and City had further efforts inches off target as they searched for the crucial opener. In the closing minutes Murray had another free-kick saved by McNicol and then hit the post with the clock ticking down far too fast for the City supporters on the sidelines.
Emma Mitchell was next to try and break the deadlock but she shot into the side netting with the goal at her mercy. With City pushed entirely up into the Forfar half, the home side almost sneaked the winner themselves when they capitalised on City’s gamble pushing players up front, but again Johnstone pulled off a magnificent save to keep her side on level terms.
City were then denied a penalty after Emma Mitchell was tripped in the box, but finally got the winner they deserved when Corsie fired home in injury time.
Commenting on his side’s narrow win, Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said, “Firstly, I want to say how well Forfar played today. They defended magnificently for the whole match and had some outstanding performances and will cause many teams problems here. From our own point of view, I am delighted with the win and most importantly with the manner of how we achieved it. We simply never gave up and never believed this game was beyond us. The girls pushed for a goal from the first minute to the very last and I believe it is this type of character which has proved crucial to us being Champions for all these years. I am delighted for the team as they got what they deserved today.”
15.05.11
