Glasgow City 0-1 Celtic
Women's Scottish Cup Semi-Final
Sunday, 23 April 2023
Hampden Park

Natasha Flint scored the winner at Hampden, setting up a Women's Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic.

As It Happened

It was Celtic who enjoyed the advantage in the opening exchanges, with Prades and Oskarrson picking up early bookings as they looked to close down the opposition attack. Celtic also picked up a booking of their own within the opening six minutes, as Natalie Ross committed a foul as she looked to end a Glasgow City counter-attack.

With 20 minutes played, it was Celtic who opened the scoring as Natasha Flint played a terrific ball through for Natasha Flint who beat the offside to cooly slot past Lee Gibson in the Glasgow City goal. Advantage Celtic.

City looked to fire back quickly; Anna Oskarsson found Lauren Davidson inside the box – the Scotland forward produced some fine footwork to get a shot away, bit was unable to get it on target.

Davidson had another good chance to level things with just over half an hour played – Priscilla Chincilla played her through – she powered through on goal, but opted to square the ball from a tight angle, with no City shirts able to get on the end of the pass.

With half-time looming, Davidson once again looked the biggest threat for City, with Priscilla Chinchilla producing some fine-footwork inside the box to hold it up for Davidson; she produced some trickery of her own but Celtic were able to scramble away her shot.

Celtic thought they had doubled their lead shortly before the break, as Amy Gallacher had the ball in the back of the net, but the offside flag was up to cut the celebrations short.

Davidson, again, nearly had the equaliser on the stroke of half-time but for a fine diving save from Pamela Tajonar in the Celtic goal to tip it round the post. That signalled the end to an enthralling half of Scottish Cup football.

The second-half picked up where the first left off; both teams exchanging proverbial jabs as the action took placed at both ends of the pitch. Each side tried shots from distance, but neither 'keeper was really troubled in those first exchanges of the second period.

Priscilla Chinchilla continued to create for City – her work down the left saw her tee-up Hayley Lauder, but she pulled her shot just wide. Davidson went close again just before the hour mark, as she forced Tajonar into a quick save with a shot from the edge of the box.

Lauder came close again with 15 minutes left on the clock – her free-kick from the edge of the box beat the Celtic wall but went over the bar.

City continued to drive forward in search of an equaliser – substitute Linda Motlhalo sent Priscilla Chinchilla through, she evaded two Celtic tackles to lay it off, but Celtic were able to clear the danger. 

Tajonar was once again to be the hero between the stick for Celtic – she produced a fantastic save to deny Lisa Forrest when she was one-on-one – the rebound fell to Kinga Kozak, but she couldn't get her shot on target.

There was further drama in added time, as Natalie Ross picked up her second yellow of the match for a foul on Chinchilla just outside the box. Up stepped Lauren Davidson to take the subsequent free-kick, but Tajonar was on hand to make a big save to deny her.

That proved to be the last action of the match; the Celtic fans jubilant as their side reached the 2023 Women's Scottish Cup Final. 

Teams

Glasgow City: Gibson (GK), Muir, Lauder (c) (Motlhalo 80'), Walsh, Prades (Fulton 45'), Whelan (Martin 63'), J Clark, Davidson, Kozak, Chincilla, Oskarrson (Forrest 88').

Unused subs: Clachers (GK), Warrington, Porter, Grant, Foley.

Celtic: Tajonar (GK), O'Riordan (Craig 45'), Robertson (Otto 85'), Ross, Gallacher (Loferski 70', Shen Mengyu 45'), Jacynta (Fergusson 85'), K Clark (c), Kerner, Hayes, Flint, Menglu Shen.

Unused subs: Logan (GK), Bowie, Goldie, McAneny.