Hearts 0-2 Glasgow City

Eva Olid made two changes to the side that beat Partick Thistle at Petershill last weekend. Gwen Davies and Shona Cowan replaced Aimee Anderson and Addie Handley.

It was a bright start from the league leaders, who arrived at Oriam looking to maintain their unbeaten run in SWPL1.

Charlotte Parker-Smith was going to need to be in top form if Hearts were going to take anything from this match and she was called into action after just four minutes, as she made a fairly routine stop to deny Lauren Davidson’s effort from the edge of the box.

Hearts had weathered the early storm and as we passed the halfway stage of the half, the Jambos were starting to see a little more of the ball.

It was still City who were creating the better opportunities however and Amy Muir’s lobbed effort had Parker-Smith stranded, but fortunately for Hearts, the ball looped over.

Hearts were forced into an early change on the half-hour mark as captain Georgia Hunter hobbled off and was replaced by Jenna Penman.

Just as it looked like the sides were going to be level heading into the break, the visitors took the lead in fortuitous fashion. An unfortunate ricochet from a Hearts clearance fell straight to Emily Whelan and the City forward made no mistake by slamming the ball into the bottom corner.

The Jambos didn’t let that opportunity phase them though and they should’ve responded straight from kick-off. Emma Brownlie made ground down the right and her cross was swept towards goal by Erin Rennie, but her effort was held by Lee Gibson.

It had been a quiet opening to the second half, but City doubled their lead on the hour mark, as Muir’s curling effort appeared to take a deflection off the oncoming Ciara Grant and found its way past Parker-Smith and into the top corner.

Hearts would’ve felt aggrieved to be two goals behind and they almost halved the deficit four minutes later when Ciara Grant’s deep corner found Georgia Timms at the back post, she got her head to the ball and with Gibson beaten, the crossbar came to City’s rescue.

The Jam Tarts didn’t give up as the second half progressed and Gibson produced another magnificent save in stoppage time to stop Emma Brownlie’s header at the back post and ensure City held on to claim all three points.

Hearts: Parker-Smith, Brownlie, Hunter © (Penman, 32), Grant, Forsyth, Timms, Smith (Rood, 46), Rennie (Michie, 67), Sampson, G. Davies (Anderson, 77), Cowan (Handley, 46)

Subs: Currie, Penman, Anderson, McAllister, Handley, Rood, Connor, Michie

Glasgow City: Gibson ©, Muir, Walsh, Fulton, Motlhalo, Whelan, Clark, Davidson, Kozak, Chinchilla, Oscarsson

Subs: Clachers, Warrington, Lauder, Prades, Porter, Grant, Foley, Forrest, Martin