The Ghirls opened 2023 and their defence of the Scottish Cup with a comprehensive 9-0 victory at the Falkirk Stadium with six players getting on the scoresheet.

Scoring from the fifth minute all the way to the final passage of play, it was a dominant outing for the cup holders, with Natalie Ross, Amy Gallacher, Claire O’Riordan, Shen Menglu, Caitlin Hayes and Maria McAneny all finding the net.

Jacynta tried her luck from distance on a couple of occasions in the opening stages, but the Hoops didn’t have to wait long for their opener, as Ross collected from the corner at the edge of the area to open up her foot and float a wonderful finish high into the far top corner.

With the Celts creating plenty of chances, a second shortly followed. Gallacher picked her goalscoring form up from where she left off as she closed off a devastating counter attack from the visitors. Falkirk managed to split the defence and looked to create their first opportunity of the match, but Pamela Tajonar was brave to come out and pick out Shen Mengyu, who sliced the through ball for Gallacher to run on to and round the keeper in the 22nd minute.

Just three minutes later, O’Riordan bagged her first in Celtic colours after Taylor Otto was unlucky to see her shot cleared off the line, but the Irish internationalist was alert to pounce and convert the rebound from close range to put the Hoops 3-0 up. But the centre-half wasn’t finished and seven minutes later made it four with an unstoppable drive from inside the area to grab her second Celtic goal.

Shortly before the interval Gallacher made it five courtesy of her long-range effort crashing in off the crossbar to give the defending champions a comfortable lead at the break.

Fran Alonso rang the changes at half-time and still controlling the play, the Hoops got their sixth in the 56th minute through a stunning finish from Menglu as she took her touch outside the penalty box and swerved a lovely strike high beyond Rachel Pirie in goals, before Hayes made it seven with a header in the 68th minute.

McAneny got her second in as many matches with a composed finish to run in behind the defender to slot home Menglu’s pass with 82 minutes on the clock, before Gallacher completed her hat-trick with a glancing header at the near post to wrap up a clinical start to the 2022/23 Scottish Cup campaign.

#FALCEL | #ScottishCup | #COYGIG
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