Glasgow City take first-leg lead in Champions League tie despite Ross red card

experience it will be a huge upset if it is Women’s Championsleaguedebutantssomatio Barcelona who feature in the last-16 draw.

The only blemish for City was the controversial dismissal of captain Leanne Ross midway through the second half for a second yellow card offence. Bizarrely it came after the home captain, Rita Akaffou, was also sent off by Latvian referee Viola Raudzina following two bookings in the first half.

“I’m not really sure what Leanne’s first booking was given for,” said Lauder, pictured, who scored the first goal. “It was a coming together, but the girl is on top of the ball and I’m not sure what Leanne was supposed to do.

“For the second one, Leanne thinks the whistle has gone to take a free-kick and so she’s taken it. It seems a ridiculous decision that she gets another yellow card, but the rules are there and that’s how the referee dealt with it.

“We had to regroup after that and managed to get another goal so that was a good outcome.”

Scott Booth’s decision to give Lauder her first start following the calf injury which kept her out of the group qualifiers and Scotland’s games against Switzerland and Albania took only three minutes to pay off when the midfielder scored from a low Abbi Grant cross.

Grant caused Akaffou to commit her first yellow card offence after the half-hour and was again involved in the midfielder’s dismissal before the interval. In between the two events the winger came close to doubling City’s lead with a shot which hit the bar.

Striker Kirsty Howat also hit the woodwork early in the second half before Somatio goalkeeper Anna James-buhigas made a treble save to deny Lauder and Leanne Crichton, twice. The home side then hit the bar with a free-kick from Christiana Solomou.

There was discomfort for City when Ross was punished for taking a free-kick before referee Raudzina had sanctioned it. With parity restored at ten players apiece, Krystyna Freda was denied an equaliser by the bar before Crichton’s vital second seven minutes from time.