Gavin Levey believes “careless and slack” play was why Aberdeen Women were beaten 2-1 by Hamilton Accies – not an early red card.
At New Douglas Park, Aberdeen were dealt an early setback as a straight red card was shown to defender Jess Broadrick in the sixth minute.
The Dons had started the second half well, but found themselves 1-0 down after 53 minutes as Lucy Sinclair scored the opener from close-range.
Accies doubled their lead on 68 minutes when Eilidh Martin managed to knock the ball home at the far post.
Eilidh Shore pulled a goal back for Aberdeen in the 78th minute, but the midfielder’s sixth effort of the season proved to be a consolation effort as the Dons returned north with a defeat in their penultimate SWPL 1 game.
Levey felt the Reds should have done better even with only 10 players, as he said: “I still look at those players on the pitch after the red card and think we can manage the game.
“We got in at half-time at 0-0 and regrouped, but we have to be better in possession.
“The attacks they had came from us giving the ball away cheaply. We were careless and slack in our play.
“It (the red card) is a learning curve for Jess. She had an unbelievable game midweek and was one of our best players, but today she’ll learn from that one-v-one situation.
“She was possibly fouled first, but I’m certainly not going to put the defeat down to having only 10 players. Even with 10 players, we should have managed the game much better than we did.
“When they scored, we actually had a player down injured (Francesca Ogilvie) so were down to nine, so there are loads of ifs and buts.
“At least we didn’t come down here for a must-win game, which is what it was for Hamilton and credit to them because they hung on for it.”
Accies pick up vital win to keep their relegation survival hopes alive
There were three changes from the midweek win over Dundee United as Chloe Gover, Eva Thomson and Bailley Collins came in for Millie Urquhart, Mya Christie and Hannah Stewart.
It was a bright start for the Dons as Gover sent two inviting crosses into the box in the opening minutes, but Bayley Hutchison was flagged offside on both occasions.
But after that good start, things went south for Aberdeen as Broadrick was shown a red card for pulling back Kirstie McIntosh on the edge of the box.
It was a questionable decision from the referee as it appeared McIntosh was holding Broadrick back initially.
The subsequent free-kick was curled round the wall by Rachel Ross, but her decent effort was well-matched by Annalisa McCann, who made a good diving save to deny Accies the opener.
McIntosh was proving to be a menace for the Dons to deal with, as this time she won her battle with Loren Campbell to get a shot away from a tight angle.
Hamilton’s Josi Giard also looked lively and she beat Donna Paterson for pace to get a shot away inside the box, but it was deflected by a red shirt and dropped just wide of the post.
The German forward went close again after Eilidh Austin picked her out only a couple yards out from goal where Giard opted to back-heel the ball, but McCann was alert and made the save.
Aberdeen had their best chance with five minutes left to play in the first half when Francesca Ogilvie found Hutchison, who was denied by the palms of Chloe Nicolson.
Levey made one change at half-time as 16-year-old Aimee Black came on for Gover.
The young defender was keen to get involved right away and saw her half-volley shot from an early corner go just wide of the target.
It had been all Aberdeen at the start of the second half but it was Accies who took the lead on 53 minutes.
Austin was given far too much time and space to take the ball down to the byline before squaring it across the face of goal. Sinclair was waiting only a couple yards out and tapped it home beyond McCann.
There was an immediate response from the Dons as Collins managed to get a shot away after being played through by Thomson, but Nicolson got down quickly at her far post.
Accies tried to hit Aberdeen on the break, after what looked like a foul on Hutchison, as Giard beat Black down the left flank to go one-v-one with McCann, and it was the goalkeeper who won the battle as made a fantastic save with her feet.
It was 2-0 after 68 minutes as Martin bundled the ball home at the back post after being the first to react from a deep cross sent in by substitute Marie Gardiner.
It was game on 10 minutes later as Shore got reduced the deficit with a fine finish after a well-worked move from a free-kick. Hutchison found the midfielder in plenty of space with a short pass and she buried the ball beyond Nicolson to make it 2-1.
Aberdeen applied some pressure in the closing stages, but it wasn’t enough as Accies held on for the win, which keeps their SWPL 1 survival hopes alive.
The other north results
Caley Thistle Women secured a win in their penultimate SWF Championship fixture as Karen Mason’s side beat Greenock Morton 4-2 on the road.
In Biffa SWFL North, second-placed Inverurie Locos missed a chance to close the gap on leaders Forfar Farmington, as they lost 4-3 to north rivals Dyce.
Buchan beat Dryburgh Athletic 4-3, Westdyke Thistle lost 6-1 to East Fife, while Huntly hit five against Stonehaven with no reply.
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