SWPL
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie
Sunday, December 4 2022

CELTIC… 7
(Larisey 3, Shen 20, 57, 91, Gallacher 24, McAneny 73, Burchill 81)

DUNDEE UNITED… 0

Shen Mengyu’s first Celtic hat-trick was the icing on the cake for a dominant Celtic wide as they recorded impressive 7-0 win against Dundee United.

Shen’s treble came after Clarissa Larisey and Amy Gallacher’s first half goals, while Academy graduates Maria McAneny and Tiree Burchill marked the evening with their first senior goals for the club.

Liv Fergusson had the ball in the net after just a couple of minutes following a fast start from the Celts, but after the flag was raised against her, the hosts didn’t have to wait long for an opener, with Larisey breaking the deadlock after just three minutes.

Liv Chance’s threaded ball just needed the Canadian internationalist to run on to and finish with ease to give the Hoops a deserved dream start.

But Celtic had to wait until the 20th minute for their second, as Shen stabbed home Gallacher’s low cross at the back post before, four minutes later, Gallacher turned scorer, producing a sweet shot from distance over Fiona McNicoll after showing great strength to turn and peel away from her marker, and give the Celts a controlled 3-0 lead at the break.

Shortly before the hour mark, Shen scored again. Gallacher’s back heel into the area saw Shen clip the ball high into the top corner for the fourth goal of the game.

Maria McAneny’s first senior goal came on the 73rd minute when she bulleted a shot straight into the far bottom corner of the net, and fellow Academy graduate, Tiree Burchill, also picked up her first first team goal for Celtic, wrapping her foot round the ball wonderfully to send it in off the underside of the crossbar from inside the area.

And a stroke of fortune in stoppage time came for the Player of the Match’s third of the evening, as Shen was alert to pick up the ball from a corner to fire home her third and Celtic's seventh of the game.

CELTIC: Tajonar, O’Riordan, Robertson (Bowie 64), Ross (Jacynta 74), Gallacher, Shen, Larisey (McAneny 45), Chance, Clark, Hayes, Fergusson (Burchill 74).
Subs: Otto, Craig, Menglu, Marwaha

Shen hits a treble in magnificent seven win for Celtic