GLASGOW City captain Rachel Corsie celebrated her return from a long-term knee injury by heading home the goal that helped her side reach the last 32 of the Uefa Women's Champions League for a third successive season.
With substitute Sarah Crilly putting a gloss on the evening by scoring her fifth goal of the qualifying tournament, it was an outstanding performance and result against the inaugural winners of the BeNe League for the top teams in Belgium and Holland. Despite being urged on by a 2750 home crowd, FC Twente never looked like rattling the Scottish champions.
Making only her second start since being stretchered off in Scotland's Euro play-off defeat against Spain in Madrid last October, Corsie put the finishing touch to a Leanne Ross free-kick six minutes from the interval. City's status as Group 8 winners was all but assured even before Crilly added the second just before the final whistle.
An understandably delighted Corsie said: "I've worked really hard to get back over the last nine months and there have been some low points. It was great to get back in time for this, and getting on the scoresheet with the team going through gives me an extra lift.
"We scored the goals at the right time. We did a lot of homework on Twente and limited their chances. They didn't really create anything that troubled us. We have a little bit of class that we didn't have last year and we deserve to be in the last 32.
"We all know the Champions League is where the club wants to be. It's important we perform when we get to this stage, and everybody has contributed. It's fantastic."
City head coach Eddie Wolecki Black said: "We knew this was going to be a very tough campaign and we showed real Scottish determination to get the right result. Tactically, the team performed magnificently. It's a proud day, not just for Glasgow City, but Scotland."
The coach sprang two surprises by leaving Crilly and recent signing from Everton Julie Nelson on the bench, but within minutes Denise O'Sullivan, the Republic of Ireland striker, nearly put the Scottish champions ahead. Sari van Veenendaal in the Twente goal made an outstanding save, turning the ball round for a corner.
There was little further goalmouth action of note until Corsie put City ahead in the 39th minute, and when Anouk Dekker did get a shot on target for Twente, Lee Alexander dealt with it comfortably. After the goal it was City who nearly added a second just before the interval, but Van Veenendaal saved her side again by turning Sue Lappin's header round the post.
Then in injury time, with Crilly having come on for Emily Thomson, the substitute shot home to crown an outstanding afternoon's work by the Scottish champions. With 18 goals scored in the three games, and none conceded, their domination of Group 8 could hardly have been more emphatic.
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