Spartans 1
Galbraith 38’
Glasgow City 5
Davidson 9(p)’ 59’ Whelan 20’ Gambone 64’ Kozak 83’
Glasgow City’s first away game of 2024 was a successful one as a double from Lauren Davidson helped secure all three points at Ainslie Park.
Emily Whelan, Aleigh Gambone and Kinga Kozak were also on the scoresheet while City fans got their first glimpse of January signing Fiona Brown.
After progression in the Scottish Cup last week, attention turned back to the Scottish Power Women’s Premier League for the first time in 2024.
City started brightly with a couple of corners that the hosts dealt with before Lauren Davidson was handed the opportunity to give City the lead when Kinga Kozak was brought down in the penalty area by Rebecca Foote after the Polish international drove through the heart of the Spartans defence.
Davidson took the penalty and slotted the ball low into the bottom left corner.
Kenzie Weir was denied a birthday goal when Alicia Yates saved her header but there was nothing the Spartans goalkeeper could do about Emily Whelan’s header after 20 minutes when she guided the ball off the far post and into the net after a lovely cross from Lisa Forrest. Amy Muir almost made it three immediately after but her shot from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar.
The home side fought back as the first half went on and halved the deficit shortly before half time when Hannah Jordan’s cross was headed into the top corner by Rebecca Galbraith.
Whelan nearly added her second on the stroke of half time but her effort hit the post and rolled across the goalline before going out for a goal kick.
City got a third just before the hour mark when Davidson scored her second of the afternoon as she rounded Yates and tapped the ball home into an empty net.
Leanne Ross made a couple of substitutions with Abbie Larkin and Aleigh Gambone coming on to the field of play. Gambone’s first touch was with her left foot to place the ball high into the net for City’s fourth of the afternoon.
Fiona Brown made her first appearance for the club since returning and made an impact by getting an assist as Kozak headed her cross into the back of the net in the closing stages.
City are next in action in two weeks time when we welcome Celtic to Petershill Park.
Spartans: Yates, Clelland, S.McMahon, D.McMahon (Browning, 60), Douglas (Bates, 34), Gibb (Mason, 80), McCafferty, Galbraith (Marshall, 60), Jordan, Robinson, Foote (Henderson, 80). Subs not used: Gallagher, Sleator, Goodman, Laird.
Glasgow City: Gibson, Muir, Fulton, Motlhalo (Gambone, 63), Whelan (Brown, 76), Davidson, Kozak, Weir (Moore, 76), Wardlaw, Forrest (Larkin, 63), Oscarsson (Warrington, 80). Subs not used: Clachers, Sullivan, Martin.