Hearts Women made history as they came from behind to secure their first win on their European football debut, beating FC Gintra 2-1 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League second qualifying round at Køge Stadium on Wednesday.
Gintra got themselves in front before the break through a Makella Yancey header, but second half goals from Ellen Dolan and Kayla Jardine completed the comeback in Denmark for the reigning SWPL champions.
It was an expectedly cagey start to proceedings in the Danish sunshine, with Hearts seeing plenty of the ball early on.
The Jambos’ first chance of the afternoon came to Erin Rennie after some strong running into Gintra’s box by Jess Husband. The ball was cleared out to Rennie who let fly from outside the box, but her effort was blazed over the bar.
Up the other end, Khrystyna Pereviznyk set away down the right hand side and looked to catch out Rachael Johnstone with her dinked effort from range which was fired off target.
On the half hour mark, Ellen Dolan saw her powerful effort hit the crossbar. Not long after, Carly Johns struck a sizzling strike of her own from distance which went over the bar.
In the 34th minute, Johns had another decent effort. She turned well in the box before hitting a low strike on her left foot which was claimed well
The Lithuanian champions got in behind the Hearts defence as Perevizynk latched onto a ball over the top and looked to be bearing down on goal, but Girasoli came to the rescue to make a crucial block to ensure it remained 0-0.
After a promising start for the Jambos, it would be Gintra to make the breakthrough.
Pereviznyk sent in the corner from the left and Makeila Yancey’s powerful header found found the back of the net for 1-0.
Half-time: FC Gintra 1-0 Hearts
Gintra could have doubled their advantage early on in the second half had substitute Justina Blazevicute converted following a mazy run into the box as she looked to round Johnstone in goal, which forced an excellent low stop from the Hearts goalkeeper.
Hearts got themselves level in the 56th minute, and finally capitalised from a set piece. Mariana Speckmaier’s cross found Ellen Dolan free in the box, as she headed home for 1-1 to become the first European goalscorer in Hearts Women’s history.
The Jambos began to dominate proceedings, and found their second in the 66th minute. Jessica Husband’s ball into the box breached the Gintra defence, allowing Kayla Jardine to arrive to score with a volley at the near-post for 2-1.
In the end, it was a deserved victory for Hearts and will now face HB Køge in the second qualifying round final on Saturday 8th of August at Køge stadium for a place in the UWCL third qualifying round, kick-off at 15:30 (14:30 UK time).
FC Gintra: Herasymchuk, Yancey, Amorim, Ribeiro, Galkina, Romanovskaja, Hakasalo, Brown, Kubiliute, Mikutaite ©, Pereviznyk,
Subs: Vasilenko, Prosceviciute, Dias De Souza, Ugne, Blazevicute, Kazarina, Sveckute, Diachenko, Lwangu, Lareniuk
Hearts: Johnstone, J. Husband, E. Husband, Girasoli, Rennie (Fulton, 89’), Forsyth (Smith, 70’), Speckmaier, Johns, Wade ©, Jardine
Subs: Locke, Campbell, Fraser, Burn, Fulton, Smith, Halliday, Crawford, Robertson, Thomson, Anderson
