Page 12 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.16 2022-23

Scotland are to take part in the inaugural Pinatar Youth Cup campaign next month. Led by
Pauline Hamill, the Under-19s will participate in the four-team tournament between 17 –
21 February. Scotland will compete alongside Sweden, Hungary and Czech Republic.
The tournament follows a winter training camp and head coach, Pauline Hamill says it
is a great opportunity: "Travelling to Pinatar gives us the chance to train, to develop our
style of play and take part in matches against good quality opposition.
"Ultimately, we want to take steps forward on both our style of play and our ability to
compete at this level, ahead of our UEFA Qualification matches in April.
"We are really looking forward to being in an excellent environment to train, play and
learn as much as possible."
(www.scottishfa.co.uk)

Glasgow City have lifted the 18s Scottish Youth Cup after a highly competitive final with
Celtic at Petershill Park in Glasgow, which featured a number of hot SWPL prospects.
Coaches and stars from both first teams were in the stands as well as Scotland under-17
coach Pauline McDonald to watch some of the brightest talents in the girls’ game in Scotland.
A last minute winner from City forward Lisa Forrest secured the cup for City, after
heroics from both goalkeepers had looked set to send the final into extra time.
League leaders City had gone into the final as favourites, but it was Celtic who looked
the more likely in the first half, having started the game at a ferocious pace. Wing backs
Rebecca Brady and Leigha Dobbins were showing great pace on the overlap to link up with
a lively front line, with Lucy Barclay showing great feet and strength to keep possession
behind Tiree Burchill and an inventive Keira Chuter, who cleared the bar after only eight
minutes.
At the half hour mark, City keeper Eva Easdon smothered the ball well at Chuter’s feet
in a one-on-one situation, and City’s central defenders were sharing a good understanding
to keep chances down against a fit and quick Celtic.
Tiree Burchill looked set to give Celtic a half-time lead ahead of the break as the SWPL
regular broke forward, but her effort cleared the bar to keep the score level at half time.
There would be good chances at both ends in the second half. Easdon pulled off a
number of saves including from point blank as Olivia Foulds connected brilliantly from a
corner and again to prevent Louise Porter at another corner.
The City midfield grew into the game as the half wore on, with player of the match
Sophia Martin digging deep to forge opportunities for Forrest, who hit the bar and was
denied by Celtic keeper Abbie Fearns.
Burchill had her head in her hands after blasting over the bar again in the 80th minute,
and it looked like the final would go to extra time. But it would be City substitute Rachel
Murchie who would become provider in the 94th minute, collecting a deep cross to square
it to Forrest who fired home.
Speaking afterwards on Glasgow City’s Recast channel, Forrest praised the heroics of
her keeper Easdon for keeping them in the game.
She said: “The ball came up this end, it was scrambling about in the box and I just
thought ‘I’ll hit it as hard as I can’, and when it went in I couldn’t believe it… a last minute
winner. We’re the first age group at this level to win the cup for Glasgow City so we’re just
buzzing.”
(scotwomensfootball.com)
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