Hibernian Ladies won the Scottish Cup in dramatic fashion this afternoon, beating Glasgow City in a penalty shoot out after a 1-1 draw at the Superseal Stadium in Hamilton.
Hibs took the lead in the 23rd minute when Lisa Robertson looped a header over Gemma Fay but Glasgow City fought back and equalised in the 68th minute when Hayley Lauder fired home from 15 yards.
Both sides had chances to win the game but the scores remained level after extra time.
Hibernian won the penalty shoot out 6-5 despite missing the first kick, sparking wild celebrations amongst the players and staff.
After the game manager Chris Roberts said: ” They have been exceptional today. They came through a couple of tough periods but showed determination.
“I thought we were unlucky not to win it in 90 minutes then unlucky not to win it in extra time and to come back after missing the first penalty to win it shows the character and resilience of the squad.
“We were pushing in the last few minutes of the 90 trying to get a win. Extra time is tough because both teams are tired but both teams had chances.
“We wanted to win the game, we didn’t want it to go to the lottery of penalties as it’s never a nice way to lose the game but what a feeling to go and win it in that manner as well was great.
“I am so proud of them and so happy that they have achieved their goal of winning this cup tonight.
“It’s huge for us and winning two out of the three titles this year is there for everyone to see and you could see tonight that we are one of the best teams in this country and we want to be there for a long time to come.”
Rachael McLauchlan said: “The team are buzzing. We played the ball well and we got the goal but obviously they equalised but we kept our composure and we got the result in the end.
Goal scorer Lisa Robertson said: “I thought the girls were great. Everyone worked really hard and stuck to the game plan which won us the game. what now? Rest up and move on to next season. I don’t normally score, never mind in a final but the ball came over my head and I just tried to hit it on target and it just went in. It’s amazing.”
Skipper Joelle Murray said: ” I can’t put it into words. you play the 90 minutes then you play the extra time then it goes to penalties and it’s just the luck of the draw. I’m so proud of the team and proud of the coaching staff. It’s absolutely amazing.
“It’s been a long hard season but an enjoyable one. we are League Cup winners and Scottish Cup winners now we just have to have a break and go again next season. Hopefully we will keep the team together and build on it next season.
Goalkeeper Gemma Fife said: “It’s massive. That’s two cups we have won this season and that’s the most I have won at Hibs. It’s an amazing feeling to win both and we can push on from this next season and go for the league as well.
“We will be going for the treble next year without a doubt. We are capable of doing that and I am just buzzing for next season after that.”
Photo by John Preece
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
