By Stephen Bark
A disallowed goal cost Glasgow City dearly as Servette stuck late to win at Petershill Park.
Kinga Kozak thought she had given City the lead and put them in pole position to win the first round tie but it was harshly ruled out before Cassandra Korhonen’s late strike won it for the Swiss side.
City made six changes from the side which lost to Roma on Thursday with Erin Clachers, Abbi Grant, Kinga Kozak, Priscilla Chinchilla, Peyton Perea and Megan Foley coming in for Lee Gibson, Hayley Lauder, Clare Shine, Lauren Davidson, Meikayla Moore and Erin Greening.
The home side started well and Chinchilla played the ball through for Desirée Monsiváis who controlled well and worked an angle for a shot but her effort was saved by Inês Pereira in the Servette goal.
Stand-in captain Mairead Fulton then had two decent opportunities from just outside the box; the first saved by Pereira and the second was just over the bar.
Servette’s first real opportunity came after a slack pass was picked up on by Paula Serrano on the corner of the box but she couldn’t get the ball on target.
A free-kick from Fulton was curled into the box and Payton Perea rose highest to get on the end of it but Pereira held well.
Sandrine Mauron then had a chance for the Swiss side but her effort was over the bar before a Servette corner found Michèle Schnider but her snapshot was saved by Clachers.
Another City free-kick then allowed substitute Clare Shine, who had come on for the injured Perea, to slip the ball to Fulton but her effort from range was saved.
As half time approached, a flurry of chances fell to Servette, the first saw Serrano’s effort saved before Natalia Padilla-Bidas had an effort blocked and a header saved and Marta Peiro Gimenez hit the post.
City made two changes at the break with Emily Whelan and Erin Greening replacing Fulton and Monsiváis and it almost resulted in a goal immediately. Whelan and Chinchilla combined to give Kozak the chance in the box but her effort was over the bar.
Grant then drove forwards before cutting inside and unleashing a fierce effort which was well held by Pereira.
Servette then began to grow more into the match. First, Serrano had an effort saved by Clachers before her free-kick from 20 yards went just wide. Padilla-Bidas then also forced a save from the City keeper.
However, the match then swung back in the host’s favour. A corner was played perfectly onto the head of Greening but her effort was saved by Pereira.
Shine’s free-kick found Grant but Pereira made a terrific save to tip the ball over. In fact, the Servette keeper was keeping her side in the match as she produced another top save from Chinchilla.
City then thought they had taken the lead when Grant nodded Shine’s free-kick across goal for Kozak to tap home but with Pereira floundering at Kozak’s feet, the two came together enough for the referee to deem it a foul.
Kozak then played in Shine but her shot was over the bar before, at the other end, Sandrine Mauron’s free-kick was also over the bar.
With the game heading towards extra time, a cross from the right cruelly deflected off Meikayla Moore into the path of Servette substitute Korhonen who flicked the ball past Clachers to give the Swiss side the lead.
There was still time for City to rally and Whelan tried to outfox Pereira by taking the shot early as they broke forward but she managed to scramble across and push it wide before saving Moore’s header from the resultant corner.
Next up City face Dundee United in league duty on Wednesday.
Match information
Team lines
Glasgow City: Clachers, Muir, Walsh, Fulton (Greening 46), Monsiváis (Whelan 46), Clark (Moore 74), Grant, Kozak, Chinchilla (Davidson 70), Perea (Shine 30), Foley. Subs not used: Gibson, Easdon, Lauder, Bora, Gibb, Noble.
Servette: Pereira, Felber, Mauron, Saoud, Serrano, Schnider (Hurni 46), Spälti, Peiro Gimenez (Korhonen 67), Mednes, Padilla-Bidas (Berti 84), Clemaron (Ortiz 58). Subs not used: Droz, Cartelli, Tufo, Bourma, Nakkach, Ágata Filipa, Stahl, Guede Redondo.
Scorers
Servette: Korhonen 90+2
Yellow cards
Glasgow City: Shine 54, Kozak 74
Servette: Schnider 21, Clemaron 31
Referee: Frida Mia Klarlund
Stadium: Petershill Park