PICTURES: Elgin City women's football team thrash Grampian Ladies to move up to second spot in Scottish Women's Football League North

By Craig Christie

- craig.christie@hnmedia.co.uk

Published: 10:05, 28 February 2024

| Updated: 10:07, 28 February 2024

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Elgin City women marched up to second spot in Scottish Women's Football League North with a resounding win on Sunday.

Elgin City's Alexa Mann (centre) is congratulated after opening the scoring. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

City welcomed a Grampian Ladies team sitting above them in the table to Gleaner Arena, and produced a strong performance to win the match 7-0.

Darcy Matheson and Alexa Mann, two players who stepped up to senior football with Elgin from Moray Girls, rose to the occasion by scoring a hat-trick apiece.

City got off to a great start, scoring twice in the opening ten minutes.

See Daniel Forsyth's pictures from the match below.

Gallery1

Elgin City's #22 Alexa Mann opens the scoring. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Safe hands from Grampian goalkeeper Kirsty McBain as she is put under pressure from Elgin forward Sarah Westwood. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin's Darcy Matheson is tracked by Grampian's Kathleen Leask as she pushes up the park. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin's #23 Darcy Matheson scores past Grampian goalkeeper Kirsty McBain...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin's Darcy Matheson (centre) scores the second goal of the match. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin's Darcy Matheson goes in for a challenge on Grampian's Kathleen Leask. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin's Sarah Westwood competes against Grampian Ladies' Amy Cappleman to win the ball. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Lauryn Nigh plays the ball past Grampian keeper Kirsty McBain to score the third goal of the afternoon...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Lauryn Nigh after she scored the home side's third goal of the afternoon...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Alexa Mann scores the fourth goal of the afternoon. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Alexa Mann (right) scores the fourth goal of the afternoon. ..Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Darcy Matheson slots home City's fifth goal of the afternoon...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Sarah Westwood missed a second half penalty...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Frustration for Elgin City's Sarah Westwood after she missed a second half penalty...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Elgin City's Sarah Westwood pushes past Grampian's Amy Cappleman...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Scoring Elgin's sixth goal of the afternoon and completing her hatrick is Alexa Mann...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Scoring Elgin's sixth goal of the afternoon and completing her hatrick is Alexa Mann (left)...Elgin City Women (7) vs Grampian Ladies (0) - SWFL North 2023/24 - Gleaner Arena, Elgin 25/02/24...Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

Mann, one of seven players recruited from Moray Girls in December, fired home the opener on five minutes.

Former Moray team-mate Matheson quickly added a second before Lauryn Nigh went round the Grampian keeper to make it 3-0 on 23 minutes.

Mann's second on 33 minutes took the scoreline to 4-0, and it stayed that way to half time.

Matheson got her own second four minutes after the break and Elgin kept pressing forward for more goals.

On 65 minutes Mann got her third, a feat matched by Matheson on 82 minutes.

City could even afford the luxury of a Sarah Westwood missed penalty in the second half.

Elgin team: Kennedy, Scott, MacDonald (Currie 80), Mitchell, Ross (Leslie 80), Mann (Hubbard 80), Nigh, Sewell, Morrison, Matheson, Westwood (Doherty 66). Subs: Gourlay, Craig, Main.

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Football Inspire me Craig Christie