Kilmarnock 17s welcomed Glasgow City down to Greenwood Academy in Dreghorn for a pre-season friendly. The air was a cool and the sun was out (finally!) All in all it was a great day for football. The game turned out to be a four goal thriller. Brogan Hay thundered Glasgow City into the lead at the break. However, an equally stunning brace from Nicole Telford seemed to have given Killie bragging rights - that was until Katie Rice converted a Hay free kick with less than ten minutes to play. 

    

Both teams initially struggled to get into the groove in terms of creating clear cut chances in the opening passage of play. Both Kilmarnock and Glasgow City's defence led by example in staying well marshalled and allowing little room for the opponent's time on the ball. 

 

However, City's Brogan Hay broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion on the seventeen minute mark. Finding the ball out wide left, she cut inside at pace and sold a couple of defenders with a neat triple step-over which resulted in her blasting the ball into the roof of the net from twenty five yards.

     

A stand-out in the final of the National Trophy in November, Hay began to stamp her authority on this game too, using a wide passing range and neat skill set to become a real thorn in the Kilmarnock side. A neat interchange with Katie Rice led to Hay being one on one with Killie goalkeeper Darlene Mitchell: however the goalkeeper rushed out of her box and executed a superb slide tackle and cleared the danger.

      

Then Hay's cross field pass allowed Eva Lockheart to round the goalkeeper, but the ball just rolled too far and she couldn't quite stab it home. 

       

Finally, a Hay free kick stung Mitchell's palms and she smothered just as strikers were queueing up to slot in a potential rebound.

       

Killie were still in it though, and still were creating chances of their own: with five minutes of the first half left Shawnie Harper had a go from twenty yards, but City 'keeper Erin Clackers was well placed to make the save comfortably. 

     

On the stroke of half time, Kristiana Hamilton rose to meet a cross, but her header wasn't quite powerful enough to beat Clackers who held easily. That concluded the end of the first half. 

The teams were mostly even in the first half, but Brogan Hay's wonder strike currently separated the two sides.  City's only other clear cut chance was cleared with Mitchell's slide tackle to prevent it being two; Kilmarnock however had not worked the City goalkeeper as much as they would have hoped for. The two defences were tenacious, and if they held as firm as they were, it would not be odd to speculate that the score would stay the same.

 

City had the first chance of the second passage when Melissa McDonald narrowly fired a free kick over the crossbar five minutes into the half.

      

Less than two minutes later, Hamilton had a great chance to equalise, but her header was expertly caught by replacement City goalkeeper Carys Hopkins. 

      

Twenty minutes into the second half and Kilmarnock sensationally went level. A brilliant passing move involving three players resulted in the ball being played to Amy Donnelly. Donnelly picked out the run of Nicole Telford who lofted the ball over Hopkins and down underneath the crossbar for 1-1. 

     

That girl Brogan Hay almost had City in the lead within two minutes of the game going all square with some more well worked play - she attempted to chip Mitchell but the keeper managed to palm the ball out for a corner on a backtracking run. 

        

Killie then went extremely close to taking the lead after Donnelly managed to nick in and poke a ball goal wards, however it crashed off the post and out of play. 

      

Donnelly was beginning to cause City lots of concern. Her footwork combined with her strength allowed her a lot of time to pick a pass. 

    

That proved decisive when Killie did indeed take the lead. Just two minutes after nearly scoring herself, Donnelly picked out Telford who sent a stunning strike into the roof of the net! An amazing hit that left Hopkins no chance. 

      

City attempted to rally and straight away Arlene Carr brought out a great save from Mitchell's feet, albeit she was then adjudged to have been offside. 

      

With eight minutes left on the clock, a Hay free kick found its way to Katie Rice, who chested the ball down and swept it home with eight minutes left on the clock. 2-2. 

     

Rallying cries came from the sidelines and on centre stage as the players of both sides pushed for a winner. 

      

It is evident that both Hay and Rice have a great understanding of one another, as twice after Rice had scored they almost replicated the move expertly; however the first attempt was saved and her second effort was screwed just wide of the far post. 

     

Hay right until the last minute continued to tantalise Kilmarnock, looking a constant threat and as good a flair player as I have seen: with two minutes to go she cut into the box and attempted an infamous 'Maicon' Bannana shot, but unlike the North Korea goalkeeper in South Africa three and a half years ago, Kilmarnock replacement goalkeeper Erin McManus managed to turn the goal bound effort away with her foot. 

        

City almost won it at the death, as McDonald did brilliant to get away from two defenders, and when the goal face opened up for her she reversed a shot: however it dragged just wide. 

 

On the basis of the play for the whole match, this was a fair result. This was only Kilmarnock's second match as a team, and they were very convincing against a strong Glasgow City side. City had sent most of their 15s squad down as a fair number of U-17s were playing for the senior side. However, the 15s got to the Scottish Cup Final and came second in the league last year, and could easily replicate that this year - they may even go further! They will be happy to have gotten a test against a physical team, and to see how that can effect games. As for Kilmarnock, they are looking good for the season ahead, considering how solid they were against good opposition today, and how little games they have actually played against one another. 2014 will certainly be an interesting year in girls football, that's for sure.