Celtic 5-1 Motherwell – Champions light up a rainy night in Airdrie

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The Celtic Star

·22 August 2024

Celtic 5-1 Motherwell – Champions light up a rainy night in Airdrie

Celtic FC Women beat Motherwell on a rainy night in Airdrie to continue their winning start to the campaign. Good performances all over the park saw the Ghirls score five goals against the visitors.

It was a quick start for Celtic as Saoirse Noonan got us off to a flyer. A corner was swung in and Caitlin Hayes’ effort was saved off the line. Noonan was there to tap it home with just three minutes on the clock.

Both wing-backs began to enter the game as both Jenny Smith and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford tried to find attackers with promising balls into the final third. And it was the latter who would manage to get her name on the scoresheet, cutting inside and curling a stunning ball with her weak foot into the far corner of the net for Celtic’s second of the evening.

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Lucy Ashworth-Clifford makes it 2-0

LAC was desperate for a second as she continued to put pressure on the Motherwell attack. She almost got a quickfire double for herself as she was played through on goal, but she was cut out just in time.

But we would get a third on the half-hour mark thanks to her. Celtic forced Motherwell into a mistake in their own half, sending the ball out to LAC on the wing. She cut back a brilliant delivery into the box for Amy Gallacher, who had an easy finish to double her account for the season.

Amy G makes it 3-0

Three to the good as we went into the break but we were out for more in the second half. Smith sent a dangerous delivery into the box but it was just out of reach from any Celtic attacker, and Clare Goldie had a punt at goal, desperate for her first goal of the season.

Motherwell pulled one back through Megan Cross just before the hour mark but the Hoops put the game to bed with 15 minutes to go. LAC was set off by a brilliant through ball from the defence, looping it in for substitute Murphy Agnew, who headed home.

Murphy Agnew heads home Celtic’s fourth

And to round off the result, Maria McAneny got her third goal of the campaign after coming on as a substitute. Natalie Ross dinked it over the Motherwell defence for Murphy Agnew, and although the American couldn’t latch on to it, an attempted clearance rebounded off her. The ball then fell to Maria McAneny, who had time to compose herself and let off a good finish.

Maria McAneny gets the congratulations from her teammates after making it 5-1 to Celtic

Speaking to BBC Alba after the game, Player of the Match LAC said: “It was a bit slow at time but I think we got our movement towards the end. We showed what we can do and we can just keep building from that. It was nice [to score that goal]. I don’t know if I was aiming for Jenny at the back post!

“I feel like I was getting back into my stride towards the end of last season and now with pre-season and the start of the season, it’s going well. I’m enjoying where I am right now.”

She added: “We played Motherwell in pre-season and it was really tough so I was nervous going into this game. The result, although we did play well, Motherwell had good chances and I’m glad they got a goal as well.”

Elsewhere in the SWPL Aberdeen picked up their first points of the season with a 2-0 win at home to Montrose, Glasgow City, down to ten players in the first half, overcame visitors Hearts with a 2-1 win to end the Edinburgh side’s 100%. That result also means that Celtic are now up to second spot.

Hibs beat Dundee United 6-0 to keep pace with the theRangers and Celtic with three wins from three. The leaders theRangers (on goal difference) beat bottom side Queens Park 9-0 with the newly promoted Hampden side going to find it a tough old year in the top flight. Reconstruction plans for next season will remove or at least reduce the cannon-fodder in the SWPL1.

Partick Thistle won 2-1 at Spartans to complete the third round of fixtures, leaving the table looking like this. Celtic has beaten two sides who have otherwise won their other matches, one being Glasgow City. Whereas theRangers have had an easier start, so don’t read too much into the goal difference at this stage.

However Elena Sadiku will be well aware that her Celtic side won the title on goal difference last season and will be mindful of the need to secure as many goals as possible in each match against the weaker sides.

That starts at the Balmoral Stadium on Sunday (25 August) where Celtic make the trip to the North East to take on Aberdeen, with a 1pm kick-off. Remember theRangers have already won 11-1 up there so the Ghirls should have their shooting boots on!

More reaction from the Celtic manager and my own post match thoughts from last night to follow.

Jessica Elliott