Hearts Women cruised to a 2-0 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Women’s Premier League at Oriam on Wednesday evening.
Lizzie Waldie’s strike in the second half took a big deflection off defender Jenna Penman to make it 1-0, before a fantastic curled effort from Naomi Powell sealed the three points for the Jambos.
Eva Olid made two changes from the 2-1 Edinburgh Derby victory over Hibernian on Sunday. Sade Adamolekun and Naomi Powell replaced Eilidh Shore and Joely Andrews in midfield.
Hearts struggled in the first half to create any real attacking opportunities as Motherwell stayed compact in their shape and looked to hit the Jambos on the counter.
In the 18th minute, Bayley Hutchison did brilliantly to hold it up to play her strike partner down the right, who slipped Naomi Powell in behind the Motherwell defence. She played the cut back, but Emily Mutch gathered it in goal for Motherwell.
After some neat play around the box for the Jambos, Addison Handley laid it off for Sade Adamolekun at the edge of the box. She looked to curl it into the top right corner, but her effort sailed over the bar.
The Well had a good chance to open the scoring on 27 minutes. Skipper Katie Rice played Sophie Black into space on the left flank. She drove into the box and got a shot away on her right foot that hit the side netting.
In the 33rd minute, Lisa Robertson played it to Bayley Hutchison just inside the box who fired it across to Georgia Timms who hit a first time strike on her left foot looking for the bottom corner, but couldn’t generate enough power on it to test Mutch.
Monica Forsyth sent in a dangerous cross from the left wing into the box which Timms met, but her glancing header went off target.
Charlotte Parker-Smith was called into action just before half-time. Rice looked to rifle one into the top right corner from over 30 yards out, which forced a fantastic fingertip save from the Hearts goalkeeper to tip her effort over the bar.
Half-time: Hearts 0-0 Motherwell
Hearts looked to up the tempo in the second half.
Bayley Hutchison latched onto the ball after a slip in defence for Motherwell and drove into the box before hitting a powerful low strike aiming for the bottom left corner, but her effort hit the post and stayed out.
In the 54th minute, the women in maroon opened the scoring. Lizzie Waldie went on an incredible run and drove into the heart of the Motherwell defence. Her left footed strike took a wicked deflection off Motherwell defender Jenna Penman and into the back of the net for 1-0.
It was a proud moment for Jenna Slattery, who replaced Lisa Robertson in the second half to make her first team debut for Hearts.
The debutant nearly made it 2-0 soon after coming on. She picked up the ball in midfield and sprinted forward to the edge of the box before having a pop on her right foot, and her effort went just over the crossbar.
The Jam Tarts found their second goal just moments later. The ball was fired out to Naomi Powell at the edge of the box who curled it brilliantly into the top right corner for 2-0.
In the 74th minute, Hearts nearly scored their third of the evening. Bayley Hutchison sprinted down the right flank and fired in a dangerous ball across the face of goal, and Lauren Wade couldn’t quite reach it for the tap in.
On 85 minutes, Lauren Wade fired it into the feet of Georgia Timms in the box who struck one on her right foot, but her strike was straight at Mutch.
In the 90th minute, Wade would have a chance of her own after a fantastic through ball by Jenna Slattery from deep in midfield to set her away. Her effort was saved well by Mutch in the end.
The final whistle was blown as Hearts Women secured another important three points in the post-split, and will be hoping to keep up the momentum going into their huge clash against Glasgow City on Sunday afternoon.
Hearts: Parker-Smith, Brownlie ©, Robertson (Slattery 64’), Forsyth, Timms, Waldie, Ypema, Adamolekun (Jardine 56’), Handley (Wade 46’), Hutchison (Young 82’), Powell (Andrews 82’)
Subs: Johnstone, Shore, Wade, Jardine, Andrews, E.Husband, J. Husband, Young, Slattery
Motherwell: Mutch GK, Penman, Ronald, Collins, Rice ©, Todd, Austin, Clark, Boyes, Leishman, Black
Subs: Cameron, Donald, Watson, Inglis, Sharkey, McGoldrick, Gibb, McCartney, Barclay
