SWPL Team of the Week – 24th December

Team of the Week from ScottishPower Women’s Premier League games played on Sunday 22nd December.

Written by Jack Donnelly

Goalkeeper – Emily Mutch (Motherwell)

Motherwell will be very pleased to be finishing the first half of the 2024/25 season in the top half of the SWPL table, and consolidated their position with a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Hearts on Sunday afternoon. In a game where chances were few and far between for both sides, it may have been easy for a goalkeeper to switch off, but Emily Mutch kept herself focussed throughout. Claiming balls high, saving every Hearts opportunity, and composed in her distribution, Mutch ensured that the Steelwomen would end 2024 satisfied.

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Defender & Star Player – Emma Lawton (Celtic)

After a very busy first half of the 2024/25 season, Celtic drew their year to a close with a five-goal haul away against Spartans in Edinburgh. The champions kept themselves within a point of Hibernian in fourth with a game in hand after Sunday’s high-scoring victory, with Emma Lawton excelling for Celtic once again. The former Partick Thistle fullback has been in fine form since heading across Glasgow this summer, and bagged herself a brace at Ainslie Park. The goals weren’t the only positives of Lawton’s performance, with the 23-year-old completing 87% of passes, winning 17 duels, and making 16 interceptions in a showing worthy of our Star Player award.

Defender – Cassie Cowper (Montrose)

A 1-0 win over Queen’s Park on Sunday afternoon saw Montrose end their largely successful year with a win, and moving them out of the relegation zone, just ahead of Aberdeen. Craig Feroz’s side ran a tight ship against their Glasgow opponents, conceding just three shots all game, with none going on target. The defensive work from the Gable Endies deserves plenty of credit, with Cassie Cowper the main recipient in the back line. Making 16 recoveries of possession, Cowper also completed 89% of passes in a neat and tidy performance.

Defender – Lizzie Waldie (Hearts)

Hearts finished their 2024 with a 0-0 draw away at K-Park against a stubborn Motherwell side, with Eva Olid’s stern defence excelling once again. Star performer in the maroon back line was Lizzie Waldie, who continues to excel as one of the SWPL’s top centre backs. The 25-year-old was a defensive force, winning 17 duels, making 9 interceptions, and recovering the ball 20 times. Waldie also completed 79% of her passes, with Olid surely delighted by the ball-playing ability of her defenders.

Defender – Stacey Papadopoulos (Hibernian)

In one of the biggest results of the season so far, Hibernian more than stood up to Rangers at Broadwood, putting in an excellent shift all over the park to run out 3-0 winners, putting them three points behind their opponents with a game in hand. Grant Scott’s side found success down the left flank, with all three goals coming from this side, but excelling most was flying fullback Stacey Papadopoulos. The Australian was tenacious and aggressive up and down the touchline, pressuring her opponents high and quick to make up the ground if Rangers got in behind. She could have had a goal herself, but was unfortunate to see her strike come back off the post, having beaten Victoria Esson. She did manage to grab herself an assist for the opening goal however, so her impact going forward was certainly notable.

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Midfielder – Kirsten Reilly (Hibernian)

Given that only five matches across both SWPL divisions took place on Sunday afternoon, team double-ups were inevitable in order to get the last TOTW of 2024 published. With that in mind, and given how well Hibernian battled for possession against Rangers in their 3-0 win, Kirsten Reilly is well deserving of her place in this team. The midfielder was a menace, outmuscling her opponents and winning tackle after tackle to frustrate Jo Potter’s side, in what was a tireless shift from the 29-year-old.

Midfielder – Talitha Robb (Montrose)

As previously mentioned, Montrose recorded a big win at the bottom of the table, with an own goal from Queen’s Park’s Morgan Hay making the difference for the Angus side. The Gable Endies’ defensive efforts have already been commended, but given the performance of Talitha Robb in the middle of the park, it’s perhaps no wonder that the back line stood firm. The 20-year-old was colossal in the middle of the park, winning an incredible 23 duels and making 16 recoveries of possession, allowing midfield partner Jade McLaren and Montrose’s forwards attack without fear.

Midfielder – Natalie Ross (Celtic)

As with every high-scoring match in the SWPL, plenty of praise is rightly delivered to the goalscorers, with the hard work elsewhere on the pitch sometimes going unnoticed. However, in an effort to reward those away from the scoreline, Natalie Ross is more than deserving of a spot in this team after her performance in the middle of the park against Spartans. The Celtic stalwart completed 91% of her passes, won 11 duels and made 15 recoveries in an impressive all-action performance in Elena Sadiku’s engine room.

Midfielder – Lisa Forrest (Glasgow City)

Things couldn’t have gone much better for Glasgow City on Sunday afternoon. A 7-0 win against Dundee United saw them cement their place at the top of the SWPL table, before Rangers dropped points later that afternoon to further protect that lead. City were excellent against The Terrors, with Lisa Forrest certainly enjoying herself in the last game of the year. The 18-year-old winger spent time on both flanks as she played the full match, and picked up two of City’s seven goals with a couple of fine finishes inside the box. Forrest also completed six dribbles, won 10 duels, and was successful with 80% of her passes in a seriously strong showing on the flanks.

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Forward – Kathleen McGovern (Hibernian)

The final Hibernian player in this week’s team, it was perhaps obvious that Kathleen McGovern would take one of the forward spots after her two-goal haul against Rangers on Sunday afternoon. The 22-year-old has thrived in her first few months at Meadowbank, with her brace on Sunday taking her to 14 league goals for the season. McGovern showed great instinct and awareness for both goals – ghosting in behind Kathy Hill to lob the ball over Victoria Esson for the opener, before firing in one of the goals of the season with an audacious curling effort following a high turnover of possession. The BBC ALBA cameras will be delighted to have caught that goal live.

Forward – Katie Lockwood (Glasgow City)

Our final TOTW inclusion of 2024 comes in the form of Glasgow City’s Katie Lockwood, with the 26-year-old being a key component in City’s slick attacking play against Dundee United on Sunday. Lockwood showcased her striker’s instinct with both of her goals, reacting quickest to knock home a pair of rebounded efforts past Beth Mowatt in the United goal, and also notched an assist with a floated cross for Samantha van Diemen to head home. Given her six shots on target, Lockwood may have been hoping for a hat trick, but with her overall contribution, there’s doubt that she’ll be too unhappy.