Ross County Women end home season on a high note with 5-0 triumph over Westdyke as Rhea Hossack hits another hat-trick
Ross County Women wrapped up their home season with a five-star performance against Westdyke at the Highland Football Academy.
Rhea Hossack scored a hat-trick with Katie Mackinnon and Reese Flaws also finding the net as County recorded a 5-0 victory in Dingwall, all but securing second place in the process.
Coach Kayleigh Mackenzie, leading the team in the absence of head coach Iain MacIver, commented afterwards: "Three points and a clean sheet was a great way to end our home campaign. I can’t ask for more than that.
“We’re composed on the ball and try to break down teams, so you have to get a feel for the game first and then we go on the attack.”
Although the hosts looked to start quickly, with Agnes Hooper and Abi Coltherd each hitting the woodwork, County had to be patient for their breakthrough.
That pressure would tell before half time, as Hossack broke the deadlock in the 38th minute by going around the goalkeeper and rolling the ball into an empty net.
County's top scorer would double the advantage before the interval too, with Syrjanen sending Hooper through one-on-one only for her to unselfishly square the ball to Hossack to finish.
It would not take long into the second half for Hossack to complete her hat-trick, and it was just as simple of a finish.
This time Syrjanen played a through ball for Coltherd, who was left with an easy cross for Hossack to claim the match ball in the 52nd minute.
The woodwork would again deny County, with Coltherd’s lightning pace creating chances for both fellow Orcadian Reese Flaws and Maimie Zimmerman who hit the bar and post respectively.
While Coltherd was proving a real threat from the left wing, County's fourth goal came from the opposite flank as Katie Mackinnon went on a solo run, beating her marker before finishing from a tight angle in the 73rd minute.
There would be one final goal to send the hosts home happy, and it came from a familiar move.
Once again, Syrjanen released Coltherd into space, and this time when she found Flaws in the middle the striker made no mistake, making it 5-0 by the time the final whistle was blown.
On the repeated success of diagonal passes from defence into the path of Coltherd, Mackenzie added: “It’s brilliant, because those are the things we can’t really teach.
“It’s down to the players individually, but Teagen’s long ball finds Abi every time, and Abi knows which run to make as soon as Teagen has the ball, and there will always be strikers in the middle to finish.
“We’ve got it from every centre back at the club – our whole backline is able to do it – so it’s definitely a good weapon for us to have.”
With one final game to play away at Huntly this Sunday, County have essentially secured second place in the table.
They sit three points ahead of Grampian with a goal difference better by 26, so it would take a remarkable set of results on the final day of County's debut campaign in the Scottish Women's Football pyramid to deny them the runners-up spot.
