Aberdeen succumbed to their first defeat of the season as Renfrew Ladies progressed to The SWFL 1 Cup Final with a 3-1 victory at New Western Park.

The Dons started the game brightly as Chloe Gover tested the home goalkeeper with a long-range effort after some good work by Amy Phillips and Loren Campbell on the left flank.

Despite Aberdeen starting on the front-foot the home-side nearly took the lead in the fifth minute. Anna Blanchard produced a fantastic diving save to tip a swerving, dipping shot over the crossbar in what was Renfrew’s first attack of the match.

From the resulting corner it was Aberdeen opened the scoring with a great counter-attack. As the corner broke to the edge of the box Campbell picked up and drove out of defence. As the red shirts flooded forward Campbell found Gover who in-turn played Johan Fraser in from the left. FRASER then sent a low shot across the keeper into the bottom corner to put the Dons ahead.

The away-side were on top and as the first half-continued they always looked the side more likely to score. Fraser played in Eilidh Shore at the edge of the box but she saw her low shot well saved. Meanwhile, Renfrew’s main attacking threat came from Claire Rae and she had a shot deflected into the side-netting in a rare scoring chance for the hosts.

Aberdeen had a chance to double their lead after 26 minutes and it came from another swift counter-attack. Carrie Doig intercepted a free-kick on the edge of her own box before releasing Phillips. Phillips then combined well with Fraser but they couldn’t fashion a clear chance at goal and the home-side survived.

After 30 minutes, Fraser headed a Gover free-kick just wide from the back post as the Dons continued to create chances. Just minutes later the Reds had Doig to thank for keeping them ahead as she got back on the goal-line to block a certain equaliser.

The first half ended with the Dons on the attack again as some great hold-up play by Lauren Gordon got her side up the pitch before playing in Gover who shot over the bar. The away-side had by far the better of the half and were frustrated a number of times by what seemed marginal off-side calls before going in one goal ahead.

HT: Renfrew Ladies 0 Aberdeen 1

The home-side came out firing in the second half as they won a corner within thirty seconds of the restart. The visitors defended the corner well but Renfrew had made clear their intentions for the second half.

It became a scrappy encounter as the referee’s whistle continually blew making it impossible for the game to have any kind of flow. That seemed to suit the home-side more than the Dons and it was Renfrew who got the games next goal.

RAE had been the hosts most influential player in the game and she drew her side level on the hour with a 30-yard free kick which flew high into the Aberdeen net.

Just three minutes later the home-side turned the game on its head with another free-kick. This one was slightly closer than the first but RAE stepped up to take the kick and the result was the same as last time as she fired Renfrew in front.

The match continued in a scrappy manner as free-kicks continually prevented any flowing football from taking place. The Dons seemed frustrated at both themselves and the referee as they tried to fight their way back in to the cup-tie.

Just as Aberdeen appeared to have regained their composure and a foot-hold in the game, Renfrew went further in front. A long ball into a congested Aberdeen penalty area around and was adjudged to have struck Kelly Forrest on the arm. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and awarding what appeared to be a harsh penalty.

RAE had been Renfrew’s best player in the game and she stepped up to strike the penalty into the left-hand side of the net to complete her hat-tick and put her team 3-1 up.

Aberdeen fought to the end to stay in the cup but despite creating a few half-chances for Fraser and Sophie Jamieson, they couldn’t get back into the match. Renfrew held on to reach the final as the Dons find themselves on the wrong end of the result for the first time this season.

FT Renfrew 3 Aberdeen 1

ABERDEEN:
Anna BLANCHARD
Sophie BROWN
Loren CAMPBELL
Kelly FORREST(c)
Carrie DOIG
Natasha BRUCE
Eilidh SHORE
Johan FRASER (Bayley HUTCHISON 46mins)
Lauren GORDON (Sophie JAMIESON 75mins)
Chloe GOVER
Amy PHILLIPS

 

Renfrew team: Renfrew: McQuillian, McGarrell, McGunnigle, Laird, McMurray, Gould, Baillie, Houston, Ruponen, Rae, Smith

Subs: McDowell, N O’Neill, Crawford, D O’Neill, Hynes, Baird,