HIBERNIAN vs RANGERS 03/10/2021 - KICK OFF 4.10PM
CLUB DIRECTORY Head Coach - Dean Gibson Assistant Coaches - Roddy Maughan, Neil Ross Goalkeeping Coach - Chris Flockhart Physiotherapist - Claire Rankin Masseuse - Laura Burns Kit Controller - Alan Todd General Manager - Stewart McGuire Secretary - Karen McEwan Chaplain - Catriona Lamont Marketing - Matthew Palfreyman, Anna King Media - Jack Donnelly, Struan Garvie Creative - Dougie Penman, Callum Hanley
CLUB HONOURS SWPL 03/04, 05/06, 06/07 Scottish Cup 03, 05, 07, 08, 10, 16, 17, 18 SWPL Cup 05, 07, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19
CONTACT hibernianwomenmedia@gmail.com @hibernianwomen 0131 656 7062 Hibernian Community Foundation Easter Road Stadium 12 Albion Place Edinburgh EH7 5DG
NOTES FROM THE BOSS DEAN GIBSON
Dean was delighted with the turn out and result mid-week but knows focus is back on ahead of today's challenge.
Wednesday’s fixture is something that will stay with the squad for a long time. It was a special night that meant a lot to everyone connected to the club. We need to see it as a bit of history now though and move forward with the rest of our season. We have a massive game ahead of us and one we will need to be fully focused on. We are in a confident mood heading into the Rangers game. We have had a good start to the season and are impacting games at both ends of the pitch. We expect Sunday’s game to be an extremely difficult challenge. Rangers have invested heavily again, although if we do what we are good at, we will give ourselves a good opportunity to take something from the game. Playing three tough games in a week is difficult but it is something this group of players is used to. The way the fixtures fell last season meant we continually had a hard run of games. Based on how we handled it, I have no concerns about that heading into Sunday. Rangers’ form does not worry or affect anything on our part. I think, given their investment, they are only doing what they should be. They are league favourites for a reason, and it is up to us to try and make it a challenge for them. Both teams head into the game in a confident mood, so it will be an interesting battle. There are no new injury worries ahead of this game, which is good. Our squad size is still very good, definitely a bonus this year. Micky and Shannon will be the only players to miss out through injury – which has been the case since the second league game of the season.
THE CHANGING ROOM AMY GALLACHER
Amy knows the team have to provide more of an attacking threat this time round against Rangers
The game on Wednesday was very special! It was a great occasion for the whole club and hopefully we have managed to inspire young girls and get more fans to come along to our games in the future. I would say the derby victory has given the squad a confidence boost. There is a feel-good factor around the squad since the game on Wednesday so with a bit of luck we can take that into Sunday’s game and get a big win. We are looking forward to the match with Rangers. Big games are ones you want to play in, so hopefully, we can put on a good performance and earn a big three points. I think motivation comes from ourselves. We know we have performed well against Rangers in the past but just not been much of an attacking threat so, all being well, we can get at them on Sunday and show what we can do going forward. I think the season has gone really well so far apart from the wee slip-up against Celtic. We are scoring a lot of goals and not conceding many so we hope we can keep that up and finish as high up the table as possible.
LAST TIME OUT HIBS 3-0 HEARTS Goals from Alexa Coyle, Rachael Boyle, and Eilidh Adams saw Hibs win a historic Edinburgh derby at Easter Road in front of a record crowd of 5,512. Hibs started the match on the front foot as Amy Gallacher got a shot on goal within the opening 30 seconds of the match. The effort was well gathered by ParkerSmith. It was Alexa Coyle who opened the score for Hibs in the 7th minute with an excellent header from close range. Colette Cavanagh had the ball on the left wing before delivering a perfect cross for Coyle to head home. Despite Hibs dominating much of the ball in the first half, Hearts looked a real threat on the counterattack when they broke with pace. The referee brought the half to a close with Hibs going in the happier of the two sides. It took only three minutes into the second half for Hibs to create a chance. A corner delivered in was met by Coyle whose effort went just wide of the post. Fans were on their feet on the 55th minute after Shannon Leishman was played in down the right. Parker-Smith was forced into a great save at her near post to deny the Hibs full-back. It was Boyle who scored Hibs’ second goal of the game with a fantastic chip. Boyle took advantage of Parker-Smith being out of her goal and chipped the Hearts keeper perfectly from the left-hand side. Hibs got their third of the match in the 82nd through a fantastically well-worked move that was finished off by substitute Eilidh Adams. This proved to be one of the final actions of the match as Hibs secured a famous derby victory at Easter Road.