Hibs Women 4 Spartans 0

Hibs Women defeated city neighbours Spartans in a pre-season friendly at Meadowbank Stadium on Friday evening. 

Goals from Ciara Grant, Kathleen McGovern and Isla Taylor earned the Hibees a solid 4-0 victory as a healthy crowd turned up in EH7 to back the girls before their upcoming warm-weather training camp to Florida, USA.

Grant Scott made three changes from last weekend’s starting XI that took to the pitch against Boroughmuir Thistle.

Noa Schumacher, Stacey Papadopoulos and Tiree Burchill all started, while striker McGovern was welcomed back onto the bench following her return to fitness. 

The opening stages were evenly contested under the setting sun at Meadowbank, with the well-drilled visitors starting strong against the Champions. 

While Hibs were crafting chances in attack when pushing bodies forward, Spartans were consistently alert to the threat posed by the keen Hibees. 

The opener came on 23 minutes through peculiar circumstances. With the away team holding out well, set-piece maestro Ciara Grant curled in directly from a corner kick to stun the stern visitors and give the Hibees the lead. 

An assured performance followed until half-time, with Scott opting to switch out Rosie Livingstone and Hannah Jordan for Caley Gibb and Lauren Doran-Barr at the break. 

The Hibees began to take greater control of the match following the restart, with Caley Gibb coming close on 50 minutes as her right-footed shot hit the post. 

A wonderful stop from Spartans keeper Alicia Yates to foil Papadopoulos' effort from outside the box kept the score tight seven minutes later. 

Papadopoulos would be rebuffed once more by Yates a few minutes later, as she made a strong stop from a one-on-one position to thwart the Hibs defender once more. 

Jessica Ramsay, Isla Taylor and Ellis Notley all joined the action from the bench alongside recent returnee McGovern on 65 minutes as Grant Scott looked to freshen things up. 

Ramsay was immediately involved but once more Yates was there to deny as she continued to impress between the sticks. The 16-year-old looked likely to finish but another one-on-one stop thwarted the youngster. 

On 82 minutes, McGovern struck. The forward expertly looped the ball over and in past Yates with a leaning header into the far-left corner of the goal after meeting a Gibb cross in the mixer. 

Not content with just the one goal, substitute McGov found her second five minutes later. Excellent play down the left from Michaela McAlonie allowed our number 10 to fire home at the near post to nab her brace. 

Spartans’ resilient defending crumbled under the intense pressure provided by the fresh-legged Hibs subs, with a fourth and final goal coming in stoppage-time. 

16-year-old Isla Taylor dazzled multiple defenders before slotting home beyond Yates to cap off a professional team performance with a very special finish.

Hibernian: Schumacher, L Taylor, Hunter, Papadopoulos (Ramsay 65’), Boyle (Notley 65’), Grant (I Taylor 65’), McAlonie, Livingstone (Doran-Barr 46’), Jordan (Gibb 46’), Burchill, Morrison (McGovern 65’).