A THUNDERBOLT from 30 yards hit Glasgow City as English title winners Chelsea claimed a tense 1-0 victory in the Champions League. However, there was enough on show from Scott Booth's team to suggest lightning can strike again and their penchant for overturning first leg deficits can come to the fore to help them escape this last 32 tie.
Facing the Londoners who were fresh from just completing a domestic double, the team from Glasgow more than held their own in a frantic affair that was ultimately settled by Fran Kirby's screamer six minutes before the break.
En route to the quarter-finals of last season's tournament, City came back from first leg defeats against both Medyk Konin and Zurich, and doing it for a third time is certainly not beyond them based on this performance.
“To be honest I was satisfied with 1-0,” said Booth when asked if he was tempted to throw caution to the wind in the closing minutes. “You are always hoping to nick something from a set-piece but to come down here to play against Chelsea and take them back with the score as it is, then that’s a good result for us.
“I thought we were excellent. We came here to do a certain job and I couldn’t have asked for anymore from my players who were up against some of the best in the world.”
Chelsea’s supporters packed in to Wheatsheaf Park in Staines to get a glimpse of the team that won their first ever Super League title. Dozens of blue and white chequered flags, reminiscent of the sight regular that swamps the sweeping stands of Stamford Bridge, fluttered frantically around the ground while a team laden with full-time professionals emerged on to the park.
On the other side of the white line, the side that is about to win their ninth Scottish title in a row in the coming weeks emerged on to the park as 12/1 outsiders to win the game on a crisp but clear night in Surrey, despite the fact they were the ones with the clear European pedigree.
Scott Booth’s starting XI set up in a cautious fashion with Republic of Ireland internationalist Denise O’Sullivan the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation, while their opponents demonstrated their confidence in a dynamic-looking front three of Gemma Davidson, Eniola Aluko and Kirby.
Naturally this meant the majority of the opening stage was spent in the Glasgow half in what was a nervy period for the visitors. Chelsea’s best chance early on came when Soyun Ji’s through ball found Kirby just inside the box but her shot across goal was agonisingly just out of reach of the inrushing Aluko coming in from the left at the back post.
Apart from that, City began to settle and created chances of their own, and Hayley Lauder was at the heart of it. On 23 minutes she took responsibility and went on a marauding run through midfield and out to the left only to eventually see a great ball into the box bounce away from Abbi Grant.
On the stroke of half-time the 25-year-old almost scored herself, a glancing header from a Leanne Ross free-kick hitting the roof of the net.
In the end, it was one moment of brilliance that would separate the sides in a tense first half, and it came from the impressive Kirby six minutes before the break. Collecting the ball around 35 yards out, she turned, stepped forward and leathered it at Lee Alexander, who was helpless as the ball swerved over her head, crashing off the bar and down into the net.
After the break the clearest chance to break level came just three minutes in for City. Ross’ free-kick to the back post was knocked back across by Rachel Corsie to Kerry Montgomery with time and space 10 yards out, but the midfielder’s composure left her as the ball left the pitch a good two yards above crossbar height.
At the other end Kirby did likewise following a stramash in the box, while the forward almost turned provider for Aluko who sent her team-mates cross behind the defence skyward on the six-yard line. Millie Bright also brought a good save out of Alexander from 30 yards.
Chelsea substitute Ana Borges thought she'd doubled her team's lead after dancing through the City defence in the closing minutes, but Alexander's stunning save may yet prove crucial ahead of next Wednesday's return.
“It’s our maiden year in the competition so to win at home with a clean sheet for the first time in Chelsea Ladies’ history, you must always remember to savour these moments,” said Emma Hayes, the Chelsea manager. “We are delighted.”
CHELSEA: Lindahl; Blundell, Flaherty, Fahey, Rafferty; Spence (Coombs 80), Ji, Bright; Davison, Kirby, Aluko (Borges
SCORERS: Kirby 39
BOOKINGS:
GLASGOW CITY: Alexander; Ross, Corsie, McCulloch, Docherty; Grant, Cuthbert (Shine 72), Montgomery, Love (Rafferty 88), Lauder; O’Sullivan
SCORERS:
BOOKINGS: Montgomery
REFEREE: Olga Zadinova (CZE)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here