Aberdeen 0 Hibs Women 3

We head into the split with a third consecutive league win secured after battling hard to seal a 3-0 away victory over Aberdeen. 

The hosts held out until the second half before Kathleen McGovern’s brace and Tiree Burchill’s last-minute finish earned the Hibees all three points.

Joelle Murray made five alterations to the team that defeated Motherwell two weekends ago; with Linzi Taylor, Lauren Doran-Barr, Kirsten Reilly, Eilidh Adams and Tegan Bowie all coming into the starting XI.

Play being delayed inside 30 seconds at Balmoral Stadium due to a flat ball was the only moment of note until the tenth minute — when Hibs would threaten the Reds’ goal for the first time.

Tegan Bowie floated in a dangerous cross from the bye-line after racing in behind her marker, though Stacey Papadopoulos would be swarmed in the air while rising for the header; allowing the ball to drop to Eilidh Adams, whose subsequent two efforts were blocked and saved, respectively.

McGovern would go close after 23 minutes, curling wide of the far post after spinning her marker 25 yards from goal before Adams, just shy of the half-hour mark, would flick a heavily-contested header just wide after meeting Jess Fitzgerald’s delivery in the air.

A counter-attack four minutes later — evolving from an excellent Noa Schumacher ball out wide to Tegan Bowie — stalled and was hastily re-worked back out to the left winger. Bowie’s second cross caused bother for Dons keeper Katie Cox, who was relieved to see the lofty delivery bounce over off the crossbar.

Lauren Doran-Barr and Kirsten Reilly would start a promising attack on 36 minutes as Hibs continued to push for an opener, with the latter picking out an unmarked McGovern in the box. The forward would find Adams, who fired low at goal after spinning off her marker only to be denied by Cox.

After curling in a free-kick last month, Reilly looked likely to replicate her magic from 25 yards against our hosts. However, instead of aiming for the top-corner, she would lay the ball off short to McGovern, whose ferocious strike was punched clear by Cox.

Aberdeen started brighter in the second 45 and quickly threatened for the first time after 49 minutes. Slack defending allowed Hannah Stewart to force a terrific low save from Schumacher, which bounced out only as far as Bowie just 10 yards from goal. As our winger looked to clear the danger, she slipped to gift Alexandra Clarke a clear opening, though the midfielder clipped the outside of the post with her effort.

After a momentary slip, Hibs would reclaim their dominance after 55 minutes as Taylor ventured forward and forced a strong stop from Cox from her fizzed strike from 20 yards — the first of many chances in quick succession for the team.

From the subsequent corner whipped in by Jess Fitzgerald, Adams would nod over from point-blank range inside a congested six-yard box.

Hibs would continue their onslaught as Bowie was sent in behind the Aberdeen defence following a lightning-quick counter, though her side-footed attempt came back out off the post. McGovern looked to rebound, but a hefty challenge from Madison Finnie denied our number 10.

Before the hour mark, Cox was called upon once more to tip over a Fitzgerald strike from range before the hosts were given a reprieve by the referee — as he blew up following a stramash on the Reds’ goal-line following Taylor’s blocked glancing header.

The relentless pressure would pay off on 66 minutes, as McGovern spectacularly curled in the opener from 25 yards. The glided forward through the middle of the park and, with acres of space ahead allowing a clear sight of goal, our top scorer picked out the top corner.

‘McGov’ would strike again with 10 minutes to play after being picked out in the mixer by Rosie Livingstone. She swiftly spun her marker before sweeping home her second of the afternoon with ease.

The game looked likely to peter out until substitute Burchill - who was introduced late on alongside fellow returnee Caley Gibb - latched onto a Livingstone cross from the right to turn in our third of the afternoon.

We stay fifth following our third straight league win, with our next match not until mid-March when the post-split fixtures begin!