Scottish Women’s Premier League
On a day when no less than 42 goals were scored in the six ScottishPower SWPL 1 matches, leaders Rangers continued to set the pace with a 7-0 victory against Montrose.
Tessel Middag gave Rangers the lead with twelve minutes on the clock, with Kirsty Howat and Rachel Rowe adding further goals ahead of half time. Howat netted her second after the break and after Lizzie Arnot and Sarah Ewens both scored in quick succession, Rio Hardy rounded off the scoring late on.
Celtic stay right behind Rangers as they recorded an astonishing thirteen-goal win against Aberdeen in the day’s early kick off. The spree started in the eighth minute when Colette Cavanagh put them ahead and Murphy Agnew added a quickfire double, with Paula Partido, Natalie Ross and Chloe Craig also getting on the scoresheet ahead of half time. Celtic did not let up after the break with Amy Gallacher netting the seventh, five minutes after the restart, then Ross completed her double and Agnew her hat-trick. Gallacher then went on to score twice more for a hat-trick of her own, whilst Clare Goldie and Caitlin Hayes grabbed the other goals.
Glasgow City maintained their upsurge in form by winning 3-1 away to Dundee Utd. In what was, remarkably, the lowest scoring game in the top division, Lauren Davidson gave City a sixteenth minute lead and Hayley Lauder made it two shortly afterwards. Jade Wilson gave United hope when she pulled one back on the stroke of half time but Lauder wrapped up the points for her side when she netted her second goal late on.
Partick Thistle overcame an early setback to triumph 4-2 at Motherwell and keep up their impressive season to date. Carly Boyce got the home side off to a great start when she put them in front from the penalty spot after eleven minutes but the Jags hit back strongly, with two goals in a four minute spell from Imogen Longcake. Rachel Donaldson added the third early in the second half and Demi Falconer rounded off the scoring with the final goal, before Kayla Jardine netted a consolation for Motherwell.
Hibernian follow on after getting the better of Spartans in their Edinburgh derby, running out 4-1 winners. Caley Gibb did give Spartans the lead after nineteen minutes but Hibs were soon back on level terms through Leah Eddie, and Jorian Baucom kept up her recent good form by putting them in front on the stroke of half time. Abbie Ferguson and Ellis Notley both scored as Hibernian finished off a second victory over local rivals in successive weeks.
A good day for the teams in the top half was rounded off as Hearts defeated Hamilton Academical 6-1. Georgia Timms and Katie Lockwood put them two ahead inside the opening eight minutes and after Mason Clark pulled one back for the Accies, Lockwood netted her second just after the half hour. In the second half, Lockwood completed a great day for herself by netting twice more for a four-goal haul overall, with Aimee Anderson scoring the sixth and final goal in injury time.
Queen’s Park power on at the top of SWPL 2 and their 4-1 victory over Stirling University extends their lead to seven points. Ellie Kane’s early strike for the Spiders was cancelled out by Rebecca McMillan but Nicole Cairney ensured that Queen’s Park were quickly back in front and they went on to seal the points after the break with further goals from Darcy Molley and Kane, who completed her double. Second placed Kilmarnock were pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Glasgow Women, who move out of the bottom two places as a result of the point gained. The first half was goalless but Dionne Brown put Killie in front within four minutes of the restart, before Morgan Anderson earned Glasgow a share of the spoils shortly afterwards. Boroughmuir Thistle stay two points behind Livingston after their clash at the Meadowbank Stadium also finished in a 1-1 draw. Beth MacLeod opened the scoring for Thistle with nine minutes on the clock, with Livi hitting back via a late equaliser from Ashley Fish.
