Aberdeen Women manager Clint Lancaster believes his side did not create enough in the final third in their 2-0 defeat to Hearts in the SWPL.
Hearts went ahead after 12 minutes at Balmoral Stadium through a Carly Girasoli header, before Georgia Timms made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute following a mix-up at the back between Aberdeen defenders Aimee Black and Madison Finnie.
Following the defeat, the Dons boss praised elements of his side’s display over the evenly-matched contest, but bemoaned the lack of goalscoring opportunities created.
Lancaster’s side have now won two and lost two of their four SWPL games this season.
He said: “I was disappointed at half-time because we’d given away a goal through a set-piece – and we know they are good at their set-pieces.
“But I thought in the first half that we played some really good football. I think some of the football we played was the best we’ve done all this season, and in spells we looked like the full-time team, not them.
“We got into some good areas, finding Laura (Holden) and Hannah (Stewart), but we just didn’t create enough in the final third to trouble their goalkeeper.
“Defensively we’ve been good this season with the girls we’ve got there, and I don’t put fault on them today and the mistake because collectively we just didn’t do enough going forward.”
Jambos take fast lead in Cove
Lancaster named one change from Wednesday night’s win over Montrose as Hannah Innes came in for Eva Thomson to make her first SWPL start of the season.
Meanwhile, a former Don lined up opposite Aberdeen as Brodie Greenwood started in midfield for Hearts, having joined Eva Olid’s side earlier this summer.
Hearts started the match well with the first real chance coming when Emma Brownlie sent in a cross to Timms, but the forward’s header was right down the throat of Dons goalkeeper Faye Kirby.
And it was the away side who went 1-0 up when after some confusion in the box following a Katie Lockwood corner, Girasoli sent a floated header over Kirby.
It was almost 2-0 soon after as Ciara Grant – who was part of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad – sent in a free-kick which found Timms, but her header landed the wrong side of the post.
Innes was the first to go close for Aberdeen when she sent a cross into the box, which troubled backpedalling Hearts goalkeeper Charlotte Parker-Smith.
The Dons almost pulled level when Bayley Hutchison latched on to a mix-up at the back between Parker-Smith and a Hearts defender, but the forward’s touch did not have enough on it for the ball to roll over the line and the Jambos recovered.
Kirby, who has been impressive since joining the Reds on loan, made a superb stop to deny Timms, who had been played through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Another chance fell to Aberdeen from a Hearts mix-up as Greenwood passed the ball straight to Shore on the edge of the box, but the Dons midfielder skied her effort over the bar.
Just before half-time, Aberdeen skipper Nadine Hanssen unleashed a powerful strike which also went over the bar, having been afforded acres of space on the edge of the box.
Despite going behind early on, it was the home side who ended the first half on top with two more chances falling to Hutchison in stoppage time.
In the second half, there was little of note in the opening 15 minutes as it continued to be a close contest at Balmoral Stadium.
That was until the Jambos doubled their advantage after a mix-up between Black and Finnie inside the box gifted Aimee Anderson possession. She then found Timms, who slotted the ball home at the back post to make it 2-0.
Hearts went close to a third when Katie Lockwood blasted a shot from a tight angle just inside the box which ricocheted back off the crossbar before Aberdeen cleared it.
The other north results
Caley Thistle Women kept up their winning start to the SWF Championship season as they beat Ayr United 1-0 at home thanks to Ellie Anderson’s goal.
Newly-promoted Westdyke also remain unbeaten after defeating Greenock Morton 6-3 at Lawsondale, with goals from Bethany Cochrane, Naomi Lind (2), Kayleigh Traynor (2) and Ciara Craig.
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