SWPL Team of the Week – 8th October

Team of the Week from the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League games played on Sunday 8th October.

Written by Jack Donnelly

Goalkeeper – Megan Cunningham (Partick Thistle)

Partick Thistle picked up their first league win since the start of September on Sunday, running out 2-0 winners away against Hibernian, with goalkeeper Megan Cunningham on top form to help Thistle claim the points. The 28-year-old registered her fourth clean sheet in six league games, making eight saves against a troublesome Hibs front line, and bumping Thistle up to fourth in the league table.

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Defender – Katie Frew (Dundee United)

Dundee United managed to put a bit more breathing room between themselves and the bottom places after a 3-2 win against Aberdeen on Sunday, with Katie Frew standing out among her fellow defenders. The 24-year-old stood strong against Aberdeen’s attacking forces, winning all but one of her duels, making 12 recoveries and eight interceptions, and kept things tidy with a pass accuracy of 80%.

Defender – Meikayla Moore (Glasgow City)

League champions Glasgow City recorded a comfortable victory on Sunday afternoon, running out 3-0 winners against Spartans, with Meikayla Moore successfully marshalling the City defence. Recording a pass accuracy of 82%, Moore won 14 of 15 duels attempted, made 14 recoveries and won all of her aerial duels in what was a dominant centre back performance.

Defender & Star Player – Louise Brown (Montrose)

Few would have expected anything from Montrose after going 2-0 down to Hearts after 20 minutes, but with Louise Brown pulling the strings on the right-hand side, Craig Feroz’s side rescued themselves a point with an 89th minute equaliser. The wing-back not only set up Montrose’s first goal, but assisted Aimee Ridgeway’s last-gasp leveller. Brown also won 18 duels, made 10 interceptions and a further 13 recoveries in an impressive performance down the right flank.

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Midfielder – Rachel Rowe (Rangers)

Rangers cruised to a 6-0 win over Hamilton at New Douglas Park on Sunday, with Rachel Rowe running the show from midfield. Registering an assist during her 60-minute stint in Lanarkshire, the Welsh internationalist completed 10 dribbles, made six key passes, had nine touches in the box, and won 15 attacking duels in a performance that saw her hailed as Player of the Match on the BBC ALBA match broadcast.

Midfielder – Courtney McAvoy (Livingston)

It was a narrow defeat in the end for Livingston, as they fell to a 3-2 loss away against Queen’s Park on Sunday, but Courtney McAvoy put in a tireless shift in midfield to keep the Lions in the fight. Picking up an assist for Lucy Brown’s equaliser, the midfielder won 22 duels and made 14 recoveries in a battling performance.

Midfielder – Katie Lockwood (Heart of Midlothian)

Things couldn’t have started better for Katie Lockwood and Hearts on Sunday, as the English midfielder bagged two goals in the opening 20 minutes, and while Hearts would go on to draw with Montrose, Lockwood’s performance was still an influential one. The summer signing showed sharp finishing and smart movement for her two goals, was confident in her distribution with eight of nine long passes completed, and was unsuccessful with just one dribble.

Midfielder – Abby Callaghan (Queen’s Park)

Promotion hopefuls Queen’s Park bounced back from their loss to Kilmarnock with a 3-2 win over Livingston, with Abby Callaghan netting the decisive goal in the closing stages. A confident first-time finish into the bottom left corner was what earned the Spiders all three points, and Callaghan made sure to keep busy away from the penalty box as well, winning 14 duels and making 11 recoveries.

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Forward – Jordan McLintock (Kilmarnock)

Kilmarnock kept pace at the top of the SWPL 2 table on Sunday, firing seven goals past Gartcairn to consolidate their position in first, with Jordan McLintock netting twice. The only player to score more than one goal in the second tier this weekend, McLintock tested Jasmine McPhie with five shots on target from seven shots, won 13 duels up front and registered a pass accuracy of 74%.

Forward – Hannah Stewart (Aberdeen)

Despite a late rally, Aberdeen fell to a 3-2 defeat away to Dundee United on Sunday afternoon, with striker Hannah Stewart earning her place in this team after her playmaking efforts. The 26-year-old assisted both of the Dons’ goals on Sunday, finding Bayley Hutchison with a through ball for the equaliser before moving well and laying off Eilidh Shore for her searching drive towards the far corner.

Forward – Amy Gallacher (Celtic)

Celtic made it nine wins from nine in this SWPL season on Sunday afternoon, with the Hoops’ top scorer Amy Gallacher bagging herself a brace in a 6-0 win at home to Motherwell. Gallacher, who moved within a goal of Rio Hardy in the race for the Golden Boot, was in the right place at the right time to turn home Shen Menglu’s low cross, before harrying a Motherwell defender, robbing her of possession, and slotting it past Emily Mutch.