Ghirls hit magnificent seven to seal place in the next round of Scottish Cup | OneFootball

Scottish Gas Scottish Women’s CupSunday, January 07, 2024Townhead Park, Cumnock

AYR UNITED…0

CELTIC…7

(Ross 6, 81, Gallacher 15, 48, Shen 58, Cavanagh 66, Cummings 90)

Celtic FC Women kicked off 2024 by advancing to the fourth round of the Scottish Cup after defeating Ayr United 7-0.

The Ghirls got off to a flier in their opening match of the year as Natalie Ross scored inside five minutes before Amy Gallacher quickly followed that up with her first of 2024.

Heading into the break two goals up, the Celts showcased their clinical edge in the second half with a further five goals as Ross and Gallacher added to their tally, alongside efforts from Shen Mengyu, Colette Cavanagh and Sydney Cummings.

Returning for the first time since mid-December following the recent international break, the Hoops would have been looking to dust off any cobwebs as they got back into the action.

And they couldn’t have asked for a better start in their third-round Scottish Cup tie as Natalie Ross kicked off the scoring.

Picking up the ball inside the area, the midfielder created space with a wonderful turn before slotting her finish into the back of the net.

It was an extremely dominant performance from the Celts, who created a number of opportunities throughout the 90 minutes.

Their second goal of the game came just ten minutes after the opener as Amy Gallacher got her first of two for the afternoon with a wonderful free kick, which was placed into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Although Celtic were able to create openings in the first half, they couldn’t find their way to goal again in the opening 45 minutes of action.

However, the same couldn’t be said about the second half as they once again made a flying start, grabbing the first goal in a matter of minutes.

Following on from her well-taken free-kick, Gallacher secured her brace, picking up the ball on the edge before placing the ball into the far corner.

With the Celts continuing to dominate, the home side had to try and restrict Celtic’s forward players from adding more goals, with the goalkeeper producing a wonderful save to deny Jenny Smith from close range.

But it didn’t take much longer for Shen Mengyu to get in on the act as the Chinese midfielder nestled her shot from range into the bottom corner of the net.

Colette Cavanagh was next to get in on the act as she powered the ball home from outside the box, before Natalie Ross became the second player to grab a brace, tapping home Lucy Barclay’s inch-perfect cross inside the six-yard box.

The day was rounded as the clock struck 90 minutes, with Sydney Cummings grabbing her first goal for the club upon her return from injury.

Striking the ball from long range, the defender got off the mark in green and white, ending off the Hoops’ return to action by making the score 7-0.

Following Sunday's afternoon's result, the draw for the fourth round will take place on Monday as the Celts get set to discover their fourth round opponents.

CELTIC: Daugherty, Ross, Craig, Gallacher (Sharkey 75), Smith (Addi 60), Shen, Cavanagh, Hayes, Partido (Barclay 75), Goldie (Burchill 46), McAneny (Cummings 60)

Subs: Logan, Agnew, Clark, Ashworth-Clifford