SWPL Team of the Week – 10th & 11th August

Team of the Week from the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League games played on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th August.

Written by Jack Donnelly.

Goalkeeper – Emily Mutch (Motherwell)

Things weren’t looking too rosy for Motherwell in their season opener against Spartans at Ainslie Park. The Edinburgh side were leading in the first half, but tides changed when Robyn McCafferty was dismissed near half time. Despite the advantage in numbers, Motherwell still had to defend against a fired-up Spartans front line, but Emily Mutch stood strong time and time again, giving her side an excellent platform to build on. The 23-year-old made five saves and was pinpoint in her distribution, misplacing just one pass.

————————

Defender & Star Player – Lizzie Arnot (Rangers)

I understand that it may look odd to see Lizzie Arnot’s name included in a back three, but considering that Jo Potter deployed the 28-year-old at wing back (albeit, a very advanced wing back) to great effect in the Light Blues’ hammering of Aberdeen on Sunday afternoon, I’m sure you can understand this slightly odd defensive inclusion. Arnot got stuck right into things in Rangers’ season opener, having a hand in more than half of her side’s 11 goals, with six goal contributions making her more than deserving of the first Star Player award of the season. She scored once either side of half time, and laid on assists for Rio Hardy, Olivia McLoughlin, and debutant Katie Wilkinson. More on her later, though…

Defender – Bruna Lourenço (Celtic)

Celtic are no strangers to setting out their stall on the opening day of the season – in fact, this was the third year in a row that the green side of Glasgow stuck nine goals past their opponents, with a 9-0 thumping of Dundee United showing that the champions are getting straight back to business after the summer break. There was a new face in the ever-impressive Celtic back line in Portuguese defender Bruna Lourenço, and she settled into her new surroundings immediately, marking her SWPL debut with a cracking finish into the top right corner from the edge of the box. The 25-year-old also completed 88 passes and made 15 recoveries of possession in a near perfect first appearance.

Defender – Hannah Coakley (Hamilton Academical)

Dropping into our second tier at the end of last season through the playoffs, Hamilton Academical set out on their push for promotion on Sunday afternoon by putting Livingston to the sword. Accies ran out 6-2 winners against Livi, now in their sophomore SWPL 2 season, with Hannah Coakley finding joy at the top end of the park. The centre back played a part in half of Hamilton’s goals, scoring twice and laying one on in what was a Player of the Match performance.

————————

Midfielder – Abbie Ferguson (Hibernian)

In the joint-lowest-scoring encounter across both divisions this weekend, Hibernian managed to get the better of Partick Thistle away at Lochburn Park, in what was a solid performance from Grant Scott’s side. Young winger Abbie Ferguson was at the centre of the Hibees’ attacking play throughout the 90 minutes, with the 19-year-old cutting in from the right to curl the opening goal into the bottom left corner, before starting a breakaway that ultimately resulted in her laying the ball off for Tegan Bowie to lash a fierce strike past Jeni Currie in the Partick goal. Ferguson was always looking to take opponents on in this encounter, completing eight dribbles and winning 18 duels.

Midfielder – Cailin Michie (Boroughmuir Thistle)

The second tier’s top scorers this weekend were Boroughmuir Thistle, who emerged from their clash with newly-promoted Ayr United as resounding victors. It finished 7-1 in the capital, with plenty to write home about from a number of new faces at Meadowbank, but it was Cailin Michie who stood out most from Andy Enwood’s side. The former Hibernian, Glasgow City, and Hearts midfielder fired a pair of fine finishes past Ayr goalkeeper Charlotte Ferguson, sending a message to SWPL 2 defenders while doing so – if you see her free on the edge of the box, close her down.

Midfielder – Rachel Todd (Motherwell)

After going through the entirety of the split undefeated, Motherwell kicked off the 2024/25 season in similar fashion on Sunday afternoon, running out 5-1 winners away against Spartans. One new face at K-Park this season is Rachel Todd, the former Dundee United frontwoman, who seemed to pop up all over the pitch for Paul Brownlie’s side on Sunday. Predominantly playing on the left flank, the 27-year-old sent Alicia Yates the wrong way from the penalty spot late in the first half, before looping a head up and over the Spartans stopper close to full time to wrap up a positive debut performance.

Midfielder – Sofia Määttä (Glasgow City)

There were some big departures at Glasgow City this summer, most notably that of Lauren Davidson’s move to SK Brann, but a 7-0 besting of Montrose may have gone some way to answering any question of whether City would struggle to score goals this season. Better yet, three of those seven goals came from Finnish midfielder Sofia Määttä, one of three top-flight debutants to close out their weekend with a hat trick. The 19-year-old tore up both flanks during proceedings, completing eight dribbles from eight, misplacing just six passes for a success rate of 83%, and winning 10 duels in a complete first outing in orange and black.

————————

Forward – Megan Whiteford (Rossvale)

How would it be best to announce your arrival into a new division after being promoted? Thumping the team that finished second last season would certainly be a way to make a mark, which is exactly what SWF Championship winners Rossvale did on Sunday afternoon. The SWPL 2 newbies shocked last season’s runners-up Kilmarnock, running out 4-1 winners against the Ayrshire side to put the rest of the second tier on high alert. Megan Whiteford, last season’s top scorer in the third tier, showed no signs of slowing down after stepping up a level to SWPL football, scoring twice and assisting Lauren Coleman for the Vale’s fourth of the afternoon.

Forward – Kerry Beattie (Heart of Midlothian)

Another free-scoring debutant in the Scottish top flight, Kerry Beattie arrived at Hearts this summer from Northern Irish side Glentoran, with the Jambos having lost both Katie Lockwood and Kathleen McGovern to SWPL rivals Glasgow City and Hibernian respectively. Any danger of missing goals from that pair against a Queen’s Park side who were dominant in their pursuit of the SWPL 2 title was quickly nullified as Beattie struck after just two minutes, before adding another late in the first half, and sealing her hat trick just a couple of minutes into the second half. The 21-year old also notched her first assist of the campaign, as her cross fell at the feet of Sade Ademolekun who finished emphatically into the top right.

Forward – Katie Wilkinson (Rangers)

There’s impressing on your debut for your new club, and then there’s scoring four goals on your debut for your new club. Rangers were relentless against Aberdeen at the Balmoral Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with new striker Katie Wilkinson often the beneficiary of her side’s ferocious forward play. The new arrival from Southampton showed composure and clinical finishing in the box, and announced herself as a threat from set pieces with two headed goals. If this first showing is anything to go by, Wilkinson will need to make space at home for a few more match balls from the coming matches.