Falkirk hosted Airdrie Ladies on Sunday in their final home League One fixture before the league split next month.
Falkirk looked to be on the back foot in the opening few minutes of the game, with Airdrie immediately putting pressure on the Falkirk back-line. The visitors had a number of efforts at goal, but the Falkirk defence were on hand to deny the opposition an opener.
It didn’t take long for Falkirk to get their first chance of the game. Kirsty Gilbert found the space to slip pass through to Suzanne Wyatt, who then found Gilbert again in the box but the Airdrie goalkeeper pounced on the ball before Gilbert could bury it.
Falkirk kept looking for the opener though and they got it when Gilbert found herself with another big chance in the 11th minute. Eva Rule passed the ball through to Gilbert who hit a powerful strike into the bottom corner.
Just a few minutes later, Gilbert doubled Falkirk’s lead. She found herself in the right place at the right time as a shot ricocheted off the post and fell perfectly for her to put Falkirk two goals to the good within the opening 15 minutes.
Gilbert thought she had completed her hat-trick soon after getting her second. The Airdrie goalkeeper made an excellent double save but the striker was on hand to tap in the rebound in true poacher’s fashion. Unfortunately, the linesman’s flag shot up and the goal was disallowed for offside.
Falkirk’s last chance of the half went to Teri-Louise Deegan who received the ball after some excellent build-up play. She took a shot at goal but the goalkeeper managed to get her fingertips to the ball, pushing it over the bar. It was the last action of the first half and Falkirk went in to the break two goals up.
Airdrie came out for the second half looking sharper than they had in the first, forcing Falkirk goalkeeper Rachel Docherty into a diving save almost immediately.
The second half saw a lot more action in the Airdrie box. with Suzanne Wyatt found herself with a great chance when a header from Trialist A reached her but her attempt at a goal was saved by the Airdrie goalkeeper.
Shortly after, Falkirk got their third goal when Eva Rule found herself in a shooting position and smashed the ball into the bottom right corner. It was to be her last involvement of the game as she made way for Lauren Simmons.
Fewer than two minutes had passed before Falkirk scored their fourth. This time it was Wyatt who received the ball in a dangerous position and made no mistake, finishing tidily to extend Falkirk’s lead.
Shortly after Falkirk made it five when a header from outside the box found its way to Wyatt who finished the move to complete her brace.
Airdrie managed to pull one back late on when one of their players found space outside the box and tired their luck from range. The effort was a good one and it beat an outstretched Rachel Docherty, finding the back of the net and dashing the ‘keeper’s hopes of keeping a clean sheet.
Falkirk’s sixth and final goal came in the last minute of the 90 when Kirsty McLeod hit a stunning effort from outside the box that flew into the top corner. The referee then brought proceedings to an end, securing a dominant victory for Falkirk.
Falkirk travel to Giffnock this Sunday for their final League One fixture before the league split in April.
LINE-UP: Rachel Docherty, Megan Black, Lauren Shaw, Aimee Lenathen, Trialist A (sub Kirsty McLeod), Trialist B, Iona Bridges (sub Ellie Roberts), Teri-Louise Deegan (sub Ellie Stewart), Eva Rule (sub Lauren Simmons), Suzanne Wyatt (sub Ella Murray), Kirsty Gilbert
UNUSED SUBS: Sarah-Louise Waugh
