Fateful eight at Firhil as Hibs girls lift the cup

AN stellar season for SWPL2 champions Motherwell ended in disappointing style when they were blown away by Hibernian in a one-sided SSE Scottish Women’s Cup final at Firhill.

The top-league side wasted no time in ensuring they would win a third successive cup double and in doing so join Glasgow City on a record eight Scottish Cup wins.

Motherwell were two down after just six minutes and manager Donald Jennow admitted: “We didn’t live with them, particularly in the first half, and they exploited a lot of our mistakes. But it would be unfair to say it was purely down to us – Hibs played incredibly well.”

The first goal, scored by Abi Harrison with less than two minutes on the clock, came after Motherwell right-back Emma Black lost possession to Kirsten Reilly 30 yards out.

The Hibs player fed Harrison and the striker was given plenty of space to turn and send a fine curling shot beyond Autumn Farrell from 20 yards. Four minutes later Jamielee Napier scored the first of her three when she converted a Rachel McLauchlan cross at the far post.

Harrison got her second after 15 minutes, sending a low volley into the net from close in. The striker’s involvement ended with a hamstring injury on the half hour but her replacement, Lauren Davidson, almost immediately made it four.

A Maxine Welsh own goal, shortly after she had cleared a Napier shot off the line, and a well taken individualistic goal from Cailin Michie completed the first half rout.

Scotland under-19 Napier got two more in the second half to seal her first hat-trick.