Glasgow City held by Rangers
Glasgow City’s title celebrations were put on ice as Rangers held the Champions to a 0-0 draw in horrendous weather conditions at Petershill Park, meaning City sit 11 points clear of Hibernian with four games remaining.
In howling wind and at times torrential rain and hail stones, both teams struggled to play any form of football for large periods of the match, with the wind often preventing the goalkeepers kicking any further than 20 yards.
City dominated the majority of the first half with the wind at their back, but couldn’t find a way past Khym Ramsay in the Rangers goals as the visitors put in a solid defensive display.
After the break, Lee Alexander in the City nets, found herself also called into action and she made an excellent point blank save to deny Amy Harrison as Rangers had their closest effort on goal.
City’s best chances fell to Suzanne Mulvey and Denise O’Sullivan. Coming in off the right hand side Mulvay weaved her way past two defenders before curling a left foot strike towards the bottom corner which Ramsay somehow turned around the post.
With 15 minutes remaining, O’Sullivan perhaps should have sealed the win but she shot wide with Ramsay to beat after some excellent individual play in the box from the Irish international who went on to win match sponsor MK Business Psychology Player of the Match.
Commenting on the game, City Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said, “First and foremost our winning streak was going to end at some stage, so congratulations to the players themselves who have kept that going for so long. With regards to today, there is no doubt the weather severely hampered the game and affected both teams as it was horrific for the players. We were not at our best today, but that can happen when you are so far ahead in the League, you can lose that edge. You virtually know the League title is won when you go into a game and are 13 points clear of your nearest rivals but you still need to get over the line. Credit to Rangers though who were very disciplined and organised and battled really hard. We kept going to the final whistle but just couldn’t get the breakthrough. We now need to go again and prepare to face Hibs in our next match and maybe that is appropriate as they are our nearest challengers”.
It is now the international break for the World Cup Qualifiers and a number of the City players go to join up with their respective international squads. Jess Fishlock joins the Welsh squad as Wales face Belarus. Denise O’Sullivan and Ruesha Littlejohn are both part of the Republic of Ireland team who face Slovakia and Croatia and Suzanne Mulvey, Suzanne Lappin, Leanne Crichton, Rachel Corsie, Eilish McSorley and Leanne Ross are all part of the Scotland squad who face the Faroe Islands and then Bosnia – Herzegovina.
Pictures by Andy Buist: Top - Denise O'Sullivan holds off Rangers Hayley Cunningham. Middle - Sue Lappin attacks a City corner. Bottom - Ruesha Littlejohn on the ball.
15.09.13