Women's Super League Roundup: Celtic Edge Hibs, Bournemouth Thrash Palace
In a thrilling day of Women's Super League action, Hibernian made Celtic work hard for their victory at Easter Road, but Kelechi Iheanacho found a winner in the second half, securing a 2-1 win for the visitors. Meanwhile, Bournemouth brushed aside Crystal Palace with a dominant 3-0 performance at the Vitality Stadium.
Hibernian 1-2 Celtic: Iheanacho Strikes Late
The match began with high intensity, and Celtic took the lead in the 42nd minute through Daizen Maeda. However, Hibernian responded just before halftime, with Joe Newell equalizing in stoppage time (45+3) to make it 1-1 at the break. The game turned in the second half when Kelechi Iheanacho scored the decisive goal in the 72nd minute, securing all three points for Celtic. Hibernian had Jamie McGrath sent off in the 21st minute, which proved costly as they fought valiantly with 10 players.
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed relief after the match, saying, "A man sent off for Hibs, they had a couple sent off last week, and you think 11 v 10, we should be reasonably comfortable. We lost a very poor goal just before halftime, and it changes the complexion of the game. But we got there."
Bournemouth 3-0 Crystal Palace: Dominant Display
Bournemouth took control early against Crystal Palace, scoring an own goal through Palace's Lerma in the 10th minute to go 1-0 up. They doubled their lead in the 31st minute when Eli Junior Kroupi converted a penalty after a controversial foul by Henderson on Senesi. The game was put to bed in the 77th minute when Rayan scored a third, capitalizing on a defensive error from Mitchell. Palace rarely threatened, with their best chance coming from Sarr, who hit the post late in the game.
Bournemouth moved up to sixth place in the table, while Crystal Palace now turn their attention to their European commitments. The result was a comprehensive one, with Bournemouth's attacking prowess too much for a lackluster Palace side.
Other Action and Updates
In other WSL matches, Chelsea took a 3-1 lead against Leicester at halftime, with goals from Sam Kerr and a brace from Lauren James, while Shannon O'Brien scored for the Foxes. Chelsea need points to secure direct entry into the Women's Champions League next season. In Serie A, Sassuolo took a 1-0 lead against AC Milan, with Domenico Berardi scoring. In La Liga, Celta Vigo beat Elche 3-1, while Getafe and Rayo Vallecano played to a 0-0 draw.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Women's Super League and other football action.
