SWPL Team of the Week – 27th August

Team of the Week from ScottishPower Women’s Premier League games played on Wednesday 23rd and Sunday 27th August.

Written by Jack Donnelly
Photo via Motherwell

Goalkeeper – Megan Sidey (Dundee United)

Despite Dundee United being picked apart by Celtic on Sunday in a 9-0 loss, Megan Sidey gets the nod in between the sticks for her heroics in her side’s 0-0 draw with Hibernian last Wednesday. The 22-year-old stopper came up big on numerous occasions, making seven saves on the way to a precious clean sheet. Her performance against Celtic shouldn’t be overlooked either, making six saves over the course of the 90 minutes, all while being very tidy in her distribution across both matches.

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Defender – Emma Lawton (Partick Thistle)

It’s been some week for Partick Thistle, as they looked extremely assured of themselves across two comfortable wins against Hamilton and Montrose respectively, with returning defender Emma Lawton excelling for the Glasgow club. The 22-year-old has taken to the SWPL like a duck to water since returning this summer and bagged her first goal of the season against Hamilton, forcing the ball past Chloe Nicolson to put the Jags out of sight. She also grabbed an assist against Montrose, while also winning 18 duels and making 13 recoveries against the top flight newcomers.

Defender – Chloe Craig (Celtic)

If Partick Thistle had a good week, then Celtic’s has been excellent. The Ghirls find themselves at the top of the table as the only team left in the league with a perfect record, with centre back Chloe Craig leading a defence that has conceded a solitary goal in four games. The 29-year-old extended her scoring run to four goals in four games as she netted against both Spartans and Dundee United, and also looked incredibly composed in possession, averaging a pass completion percentage of 86% across both fixtures. Craig also won all but one of her aerial duels, won 16 duels and made 14 recoveries.

Defender – Carly Girasoli (Heart of Midlothian)

Hearts have made themselves hard to break down during Eva Olid’s time at the club and summer signing Carly Girasoli has only made that maroon defence stronger since arriving from London City. The 21-year-old put in an assured performance in Hearts’ 2-1 loss to Rangers, making eight interceptions and 12 recoveries, adding to that showing with her first Hearts goal in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at the weekend. Girasoli made a further 13 recoveries in that encounter, while also recording a pass accuracy of 81%.

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Midfielder – Ellie Kane (Queen’s Park)

Ellie Kane is making a real habit of this. Perhaps the most in-form player in the SWPL, the Queen’s Park captain is taking full advantage of her more advanced role this season, as she bagged herself another brace in a 6-0 drubbing of Glasgow Women, taking her to seven for the season in just three games. The 23-year-old also picked up two assists, showcasing her playmaking abilities in doing so and certainly leading by example.

Midfielder – Kirsty MacLean (Rangers)

Rangers youngster Kirsty MacLean has been long regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Scotland, and with her early season performances this year, it’s clear to see why. The 18-year-old kept things neat and tidy in the middle of the park in Rangers’ 2-1 win over Hearts, with 86% pass accuracy and 12 duels won, before going on to pick up the assist for Mia McAulay’s goal against Glasgow City on Sunday.

Midfielder – Ellis Notley (Hibernian)

While Hibernian have had somewhat of a mixed start to this SWPL campaign, Ellis Notley has remained consistent as ever in the middle of the park for Grant Scott’s side. The midfielder provided her teammates with a strong base from the centre as they battled against a spirited Dundee United, winning nine duels, making 16 recoveries and recording a pass accuracy of 81%. Then, against Edinburgh rivals Spartans, Notley notched the assist for Brooke Nunn’s last-gasp equaliser to rescue a point, having previously been 2-0 down to Debbi McCulloch’s side.

Midfielder – Cori Sullivan (Glasgow City)

Over the last seven days, Cori Sullivan has shown just how much of a threat she can be on the left wing. Glasgow City’s new arrival from America was at the centre of the champions’ attacking play in their 4-1 win over Motherwell, as she scored twice and picked up an assist. While there were no attacking returns in the 1-1 draw with Rangers, Sullivan continued to cause havoc down the left, with her teammates continually shipping the ball out wide to see what the winger could do, with regular crosses causing panic in the Rangers back line.

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Forward – Kirsty O’Brien (Gartcairn)

Gartcairn have endured a tough start to this SWPL 2 season thus far, failing to win any of their opening three fixtures, but Kirsty O’Brien’s performance against St. Johnstone showed that there is still fight in this side yet. The young forward made a real impact off the bench in a 30-minute cameo, netting twice in the last 10 minutes and battling well against the back line, winning seven of nine duels attempted.

Forward – Morgan Steedman (St Johnstone)

With SWPL 2 clubs only having one match in the last week, opposed to two like their SWPL 1 counterparts, players had less of an opportunity to make their case for this team. That didn’t matter to St. Johnstone’s Morgan Steedman, who scored a hat trick in a thrilling 5-3 victory over Gartcairn on Sunday. Her three-goal haul finds her second only to Ellie Kane in the SWPL 2 scoring charts and given how often she found the net last season, don’t be surprised to see her somewhere similar in May.

Forward & Star Player – Carla Boyce (Motherwell)

After netting herself a hattrick in the Lanarkshire Derby, after grabbing her first of the season against Glasgow City, Carla Boyce picks up this week’s Star Player award. The striker put the Women of Steel into a commanding 2-0 lead against Hamilton before half time, before netting her third just a few minutes into the second half to really assert Motherwell’s dominance. Her goal against City wasn’t anything to scoff at either, as she beat Lee Gibson with a powerful looping effort from the edge of the box.