Hibernian Women ended their final home match of 2024 with a dogged, four-goal win against Motherwell at Meadowbank.
Eilidh Adams flicked effort saw the Hibees take a fine first-half lead, before Rosie Livingstone registered a second goal seconds after the restart. Kathleen McGovern and Siobhan Hunter netted late on amidst some difficult, windy playing conditions in Edinburgh.
Grant Scott made a handful of changes to his last matchday squad - with Noa Schumacher, Shannon Leishman, Ciara Grant, Livingstone and Adams all coming into the starting XI.
Lauren Doran-Barr started against her former club, making her 50th appearance in Green & White in the process.
Kicking-off our final home game of the year, the Hibees might have hoped for a more positive start after Kathleen McGovern spurned an early shot wide.
Stealing possession from Linzi Taylor, Rangers loanee Laura Berry advanced clear through on goal. The number nine narrowly saw her effort drift wide of Noa Schumacher’s net, before Schumacher was called into action twice in quick succession to hold another Berry effort and bravely punch a dangerous Katie Rice cross to safety.
Desperate to fire the Hibees ahead, Michaela McAlonie tested Emily Mutch’s reflexes via a low effort destined for the bottom corner, with the Motherwell ‘keeper pulling off a brilliant stop to deny the midfielder.
Sat one position - and 11 points - behind Hibs in the SWPL, Motherwell certainly looked up for the challenge of clawing back some ground in the league.
Fiery on the counter-attack, Louisa Boyce forced another brilliant save from Schumacher - acrobatically swarming away an effort heading in the top corner to keep the score level.
With the blustery conditions affecting play and making regular set-piece situations a liability, a Grant corner was perfectly drilled into the front post, with Adams looping touch deceiving the entire ‘Well defence and nestling into the roof of the net to open the scoring.
With the Hibees trying to maintain their lead, both sides played a physical contest - with challenges often leading top moments of attacking play.
McGovern was unfortunate not to tap into the net after Emily Mutch failed to commit to Livingstone’s cross from the right, before our number 10 soon slammed into the bottom corner - only to see her effort chalked off for offside.
Opening the second half in superb fashion, Rosie Livingstone put the Hibees further ahead; swivelling and driving well into the bottom corner to notch her third goal of the season on her first start this campaign.
Substitute Rachael Boyle nearly made it three not long after her introduction with a low drive in on 78 minutes, with a rising follow-up effort also nearly bulging the net a minute later.
The second half hailed in comparison to all the action seen in the first, but Kathleen McGovern and Siobhan Hunter would both find their names on the scoresheet late on.
McGovern poked home brilliantly - after being teed up by substitute Stacey Papadopoulos - to continue her fine goalscoring form on 82 minutes. The goal came just seconds after a crashing effort of hers from range smacked the post.
Hunter put the game beyond all doubt on 85 minutes. The towering centre-back nodded home after meeting a curling corner in a congested penalty area.
