Aberdeen Women co-manager Emma Hunter says her side can’t let a 3-0 defeat to Celtic lower their spirits in SWPL 1.
At Balmoral Stadium, Celtic took the lead in the 30th minute through Clarissa Larisey, but Aberdeen reacted well and made life difficult for the full-time professional side.
However, things started to unravel for the Dons in the final 15 minutes, as Jacynta and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford scored in the 76th and 77th minute to put Celtic 3-0 up.
The result leaves Aberdeen second-bottom of SWPL 1, still without a win after the first six games of the season. The Dons face Glasgow City in the SWPL Cup next weekend.
Aberdeen co-boss Hunter says that while the result is disappointing, her side must look focus on the positives after a solid performance against a professional team.
She said: “Overall, we can’t be too despondent. Celtic have been clinical this season and have been defeating teams by heavy score-lines.
“I think we competed really well for large parts of the game, but we just didn’t trouble them enough – it was the odd counter or chance.
“Of course there are things we could do better, but we competed well and I think it was a good performance, but we’re disappointed to have lost the two goals so quickly.
“It’s something that we speak about and something we need to stop doing – conceding goals in quick succession, so there are learnings we can take from this game.
“It’s about trying to be more consistent, so hopefully we can take that performance into the cup game against Glasgow City next week.”
The Aberdeen co-boss believes that conceding two late goals is another sign of the difference in levels between part-time and full-time teams in the Scottish top-flight.
Hunter explained: “It shows the gulf between part-time and full-time teams. You can see their physicality, strength and endurance.
“If it was a game of 60 minutes then we would’ve been fine – but it’s not.
“It’s a game of 90 minutes and we just couldn’t keep that concentration and momentum up for long enough in the game.
“If we had got to the 80th minute at 1-0, I think we would have been a bit braver and squeezed Celtic up the pitch a bit more, and created more chances.”
Celtic fail to make early penalty count
Celtic were awarded a penalty in the seventh minute after referee Joel Kennedy pointed to the spot after Millie Urquhart’s boot caught Caitlin Hayes’ head.
The current SWPL 1 goal scorer Larisey stepped up for the spotkick, but sent it the wrong side of the post and it remained 0-0.
Aberdeen’s first chance came as Bayley Hutchison played Francesca Ogilvie through with a perfectly weighted pass, but Ogilvie hit her effort into the side-netting.
The Dons had a penalty claim of their own after 20 minutes as subsitute Kelly Clark seemed to have handled the ball in the area, but referee Kennedy took no action.
Aberdeen had a decent spell on the front-foot where Hutchison was clear through on goal, but was deemed offside, before Eva Thomson hit a decent strike from a free-kick.
Hunter’s side were well in the game, but Celtic took the lead just after 30 minutes as Larisey was clear on goal and buried a low effort beyond AJ Meach to make it 1-0.
The Canadian almost scored an identical goal just two minutes later after she beat Donna Paterson for pace, but Meach was alert and did well to make the save.
Just one goal in it at half-time against the professional outfit
Celtic looked to double their advantage early in the second-half as Larisey almost netted her brace, but instead hit the post, before Shen Mengyu skied the rebound over the bar.
Aberdeen had a chance on the hour mark, as Ogilvie tried to beat Pamela Tajonar from distance, but the Celtic keeper collected it in the air to make her first save of the game.
The Dons were unlucky to go 2-0 down having defended well in the second-half, but Jacynta scored in the 76th minute with a powerful strike on the edge of the box.
It was 3-0 a minute later as Celtic piled on the pressure and worked the ball into the box, where Ashworth-Clifford tapped the ball in from close-range.
Elsewhere in Scottish women’s football
Caley Thistle Women were beaten 3-2 at home against Livingston in the SWF Championship. The Caley Jags were 2-1 up but conceded two-second half goals.
In League One, Grampian Ladies were beaten 2-1 at home against Stenhousemuir, while Westdyke were in league cup action as they defeated Gleniffer Thistle 4-0.