Page 30 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.25 2022-23

Minutes later a half volley from McGuinness was blocked on the line and then Sophie
Kelly-Bradley, who had scored twice against the Macedonians, had an effort cleared off the
line.
Montenegro equalised on 35 minutes via a long range effort before Myles let fly from
35 yards. Her shot drifted just wide of the post.
The second half was a pretty tight affair, with few chances created and both defences
on top, until McGuinness scored from the spot once again in the 76th minute. Niamh
Hassan was impeded by a defender inside the area and the ref immediately pointed to the
spot. McGuinness drove the penalty into the bottom corner.
McGuinness completed her hat-trick seven minutes later. A Montenegro clearance
from a corner fell to her on the edge of the area and McGuinness drove the ball home
through a sea of players.
Conway was unlucky not to add to Northern Ireland’s tally when she swept forward
with a few minutes left on the clock during yesterday's encounter. She jinked past three
defenders before her well struck effort from 15 yards was saved by the Montenegrin keeper.
Afterwards WU16s coach Stevie Graham said: “It was an outstanding performance
from the girls both individually and collectively, most notably in the first half when they
created several goalscoring opportunities.
“It was a very disciplined and positive second half performance to secure a very
rewarding result to conclude an excellent tournament for these young players.”
Northern Ireland Under-16s: Kate Smith, Jessica Mulholland, Anastasia Stanyte, Ellen
Hampton, Zoe Knox, Anna Walsh, Jessica McGuinness, Gracie Conway, Niamh Hassan,
Sophie Kelly-Bradley, Eva Myles. Subs: Clodagh Maguire, Lillie Horner, Caitlin Carlisle,
Erin Boyle, Kirsten Farley, Eden Donnan, Abbie Smith, Laurie Bell, Mia Reilly.
(irishfa.com)

The Scottish FA, Scottish Professional Football League, and Scottish Women’s Premier
League have announced the creation of Scottish Football Marketing: a centralised
commercial hub to revolutionise the promotion and marketing of the national game in
Scotland.
Scottish Football Marketing will recruit a team of talented and ambitious commercial
professionals to be based at Hampden Park, reporting to a commercial board appointed by
the three bodies, with a view to harnessing a compelling and unified brand for Scottish
football, and increasing revenues from enhanced data collection, sponsorship and
licensing for the entire game.
The establishment of Scottish Football Marketing was one of the key pillars of the
SPFL’s strategic review, approved earlier this season. That review was driven by the late
Ron Gordon of Hibernian and involved Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts and Rangers.
It has been endorsed by the governing body in a bid to harness the storytelling and
customer experience of Scottish football, as well as harmonising data points and
commercial performance.
The process will begin with the recruitment of a new Commercial Director for Scottish
Football Marketing.
Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive said: “Scottish football offers a compelling
and unpredictable narrative on the field. We believe it is time to work smarter off the field,
in an increasingly competitive marketplace, to reinforce the magic of our national game.
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