SWPL Team of the Week – 3rd September

Team of the Week from ScottishPower Women’s Premier League and Sky Sports Cup games played on Sunday 3rd September.

Written by Jack Donnelly

Goalkeeper – Lauren McGregor (Queen’s Park)

As the first round of the Sky Sports Cup kicked off, all eight SWPL 2 clubs faced off amongst themselves to battle it out for a place in the second round, and thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Lauren McGregor, Queen’s Park managed to find a way past Glasgow Women. The Spiders stopper was on hand numerous occasions as the match went into extra time, standing firm in between the posts before Ellie Kane scored the goal to send Queen’s Park through in the 119th minute.

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Defender – Demi Falconer (Partick Thistle)

Partick Thistle have started this ScottishPower Women’s Premier League campaign in fine form, and although they fell to a 1-0 defeat away against Rangers on Sunday, Brian Graham’s back line – and Demi Falconer in particular – more than made their Glasgow rivals work for the three points. Making a league-high 23 recoveries, winning an impressive 19 duels, and maintaining a pass accuracy of 76%, the Jags defender put everything she could into her performance, and served to frustrate Rangers throughout the match.

Defender – Gill Inglis (Motherwell)

Motherwell currently find themselves midtable, picking up their third win of the season on Sunday by putting on a solid performance at home against Montrose, with captain Gill Inglis leading the charge from the back. The 33-year-old was always looking to get her side moving, completing 12 progressive passes in the 90 minutes, the joint-fourth most from this round of fixtures. The defender also made four interceptions, won seven duels and made six recoveries as her side ran out victorious at K-Park.

Defender – Fiona Gibson (Boroughmuir Thistle)

In what was the only first round match that didn’t go to extra time, Boroughmuir Thistle looked comfortable as they ran out 3-0 winners away to Stirling University, with full back Fiona Gibson getting them off to the perfect start. After capitalising on a mistake from Victoria Scarratt, Gibson prodded the ball into the back of the net in the 19th minute, and went on to perform diligently in defence as Thistle scored twice more and kept a clean sheet to set up a second round clash with Queen’s Park.

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Midfielder – Tegan Bowie (Hibernian)

Although Hibernian fell to Fran Alonso’s Celtic in their encounter on Sunday afternoon, there were plenty of positive for Grant Scott to take from his side’s spirited performance, not less the display of former Celt Tegan Bowie. The winger sparked a late first-half surge for the home side, picking out Eilidh Adams for Hibs’ first goal with a wicked cross, and provided her teammates with a real creative outlet down the flank.

Midfielder – Kinga Kozak (Glasgow City)

In what was a good battle between Glasgow City and Hearts at Petershill Park on Saturday night, the home side managed to squeeze a couple of goals past an on-form Charlotte Parker-Smith, with midfielder Kinga Kozak netting the decisive strike in the second half. The 21-year-old looked to get forward whenever she could, and made four progressive runs throughout the 90 minutes, which was the second highest over the weekend. The diminutive playmaker also turned in 75% pass accuracy, won six duels and made six recoveries, with five of those coming in the opposing half.

Midfielder & Star Player – Rachel Todd (Dundee United)

Dundee United picked up their first win of this campaign on Sunday, with captain Rachel Todd leading by example and firing in a hat-trick from the wing. After opening the scoring directly from a corner, Todd twice kept her cool from the penalty spot, sending Chloe Nicolson the wrong way on both occasions, and sending United on their way to three points. She also completed four dribbles and made 10 interceptions in what was a marauding performance on the left flank.

Midfielder – Erin Burns (Livingston)

It wasn’t to be for Livingston in their first crack at the Sky Sports Cup, but the Lions fought valiantly against St. Johnstone, spending almost the entire second half in front thanks to a brace from Erin Burns. After equalising the match with a lovely first-time finish in the 9th minute, the winger put Livingston ahead just after half time, capitalising from a breakdown in communication at the back to double her tally for the afternoon.

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Forward – Amy Gallacher (Celtic)

Amy Gallacher continued her electric start to the season in her side’s 4-2 win over Hibernian on Sunday afternoon, as she put her former side to the sword and netted herself a hat-trick. The Celtic striker not only put on an excellent finishing display at Meadowbank but also contributed heavily to the rest of Celtic’s attacking play, completing four key passes, one of which being an inventive assist for Colette Cavanagh’s first-half goal.

Forward – Lucie Burns (Kilmarnock)

In what was certainly the game of the round, Kilmarnock ran out 4-3 winners away against Gartcairn after extra time, with 16-year-old Lucie Burns taking plenty of plaudits for how she took charge of affairs to get Killie into the next round. Her first goal, which tied the match for the match for the second time, saw her receive the ball just inside the Gartcairn half, beat three defenders on a mazy run and slot the ball past Jasmine McPhie. She showed off her footwork for her second goal as well, latching onto a cross into the box before chopping past two blue shirts and finding the far corner just before the end of the first half of extra time.

Forward – Bayley Hutchison (Aberdeen)

Aberdeen got back to winning ways with an excellent 3-0 win away in Edinburgh against Spartans, with young starlet Bayley Hutchison netting herself a brace to take her season tally to five goals in as many games. The 19-year-old doubled the Dons’ advantage with a powerful curled effort into the top left corner, before adding her second – and Aberdeen’s third – midway through the second half, latching onto a long ball forward from Hannah Stewart and forcing it past the onrushing Rachel Harrison.