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Motherwell visited the national stadium looking for back-to-back wins against Rangers. In what was a hectic first 25 minutes, chances came for both teams.

Rangers converted two, while an own goal got Motherwell back level at one stage.

A depleted Motherwell side found their way back into the match and had it not been for some world class goalkeeping from Jack Butland, the Steelmen may have been leaving Hampden with more than just a pat on the back.

The women of steel kicked off the 2024/25 SWPL campaign with a comfortable 1-5 victory over Spartans at Ainslie Park.

The women of steel travelled to the Scottish capital keen to pick up from where they left off last season, with a revitalised squad coasting past a competitive Spartans team to start the latest top-flight campaign on a high.

Competitive debutant Rachel Todd netted a prolific brace across both halves, with Bailley Collins, Sarah Gibb and Morgan Cross also finding the target in a dominant second-half display in Edinburgh.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie named three new additions within the starting XI, as Jenna Penman, Mason Blyth-Clark and Rachel Todd lined-up from the start, with Celtic loanees Sienna Mcgoldrick and Amy Sharkey featuring from the bench.

The hosts capitalised on the visitors early frustrations, netting the opener within the opening phases of play. Nevertheless, the women of steel persisted and soon netted an unpredictable equaliser, with Spartans gifting Bailley Collins a free close-range effort after misplacing an unpressurised goal-kick.

Debutant Todd soon netted Motherwell’s second from the penalty spot after Morgan Cross was hauled down after expertly escaping her marker within the penalty area. Sarah Gibb netted her first Motherwell goal early into the second-half, dispatching Bailley Collins whipped delivery across the face of goal.

Morgan Cross picked up from where she left off last season, drilling home Collins’ low delivery in an almost identical goal. Todd rounded off an exceptional afternoon under the Edinburgh sunshine, powering home Sarah Gibb’s floated corner kick with a precise headed effort.

The women of steel now head into the campaign with confidence and momentum in the pursuit of a historic top-six finish.

Motherwell came away from Hampden empty-handed on Saturday afternoon as Rangers secured their first win of the season in a 2-1 victory over the Steelmen. 

Despite late pressure and a great save from Jack Butland, first half goals from Cyriel Dessers and Václav Cerny gave the Glasgow side the three points.

The Steelmen had the first real chance of the game after just four minutes. Stephen’s O’Donnell’s flick over the top of the defence found Lennon Miller who was able to stay onside, however the 17-year-old could only find the side netting with his effort.

Incredible defending from captain Paul McGinn then kept the scoreline level as he raced back to clear off the line from Scott Wright, who had skipped past Aston Oxborough in the Motherwell net.

Rangers took the lead a minute later when Mohamed Diomande got on the end of a deep ball into the box and his header across goal was converted by Dessers.

Incredibly that lead only lasted a few minutes as from the next attack, ‘Well were level. Steve Seddon, on his first start for the club, advanced down the left wing and saw his cross steered into his own net by Robin Propper.

It looked like something to hold onto and build on but Rangers were back ahead shortly after. Cerny found far too much space and from the edge of the box curled his shot into the top corner of the net with a fine finish from his left foot.

Motherwell were dealt a blow as new recruit Apostolos Stamatelopoulos limped off with an injury and was replaced by Zach Robinson just before half time.

In the second half, Robinson had arguably the two best chances.

Firstly the ball dropped to him 12 yards out after good play from O’Donnell but he couldn’t hit the target.

As time was running out for an equaliser, he then produced an incredible save from Butland. Lennon Miller picked him out and on the swivel, his low shot was somehow beaten away by the Rangers stopper despite the number nine doing everything right.

Some half chances from Liam Gordon and O’Donnell didn’t threaten the Rangers keeper as the game edged closer to it’s conclusion.

It was all Motherwell at that point – with plenty of long-throws being launched into the box but the Steelmen could find no way through and left the national stadium with nothing to show for their efforts

Stuart Kettlewell gives his thoughts on the 2-1 defeat to Rangers at Hampden.

Striker Amy Sharkey has joined the club on a season-long loan deal from defending SWPL champions Celtic.

The 16-year-old joined the Hoops’ academy in February 2022 and instantly made an impression, earning a place on the bench against local rivals Rangers at only 15-years-old in the maiden women’s Scottish Cup final at the national stadium, Hampden park.

The forward soon made her senior Celtic debut, before featuring twice against Hamilton and Dundee United, with Sharkey netting her first top-flight goal in a 9-0 victory over the Tangerines.

“I’m delighted to have joined Motherwell,” said Sharkey.

“I want to experience regular first-team football and the club have a proven track record of developing young players and providing the platform to gain experience and progress both as a player and a person.

“I can’t wait to get started and am looking forward to playing my part in the season ahead.”

The striker, who has been capped internationally for Scotland at both U16 and U17 level, will be the sixth new acquisition for the women of steel this season.

“This is a very positive addition,” head coach Paul Brownlie said.

“Making her Celtic debut at 15 emphasises how exciting a talent Amy is, and we knew she’d be able to positively strengthen our options in the final third. We are looking forward to supporting her progression this season.”

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Summer signing Liam Gordon says he has settled in very quickly after his switch from St Johnstone and is looking forward to the season ahead. 

With so many injuries amongst the squad, Gordon explains why it’s important he does everything to avoid injury and also reminisces about his previous ventures to the national stadium.

They say that patience can be a virtue but for goalkeeper Aston Oxborough, it’s more than that. It’s been a part of his daily professional footballing life. He arrived in North Lanarkshire with very few minutes to his name.

Despite being on the books of Norwich for 14 years, he never actually featured for the first-team.

Training and applying himself every day in a professional manner, the opportunity to showcase his talents never appeared and so, the time came for Oxborough to try something new.

That was in August 2022, when he arrived at Motherwell on the eve of Steven Hammell’s first match in charge as the permanent manager of the club.

“A lot has happened since I arrived,” Oxborough reflected.

“My loan at Barnet from Norwich was the last string of games I got. It was frustrating, it’s a hard club to breakthrough at. I was kept back on training and didn’t get out on loan until I was 21, which is quite late.

“That was frustrating but looking back, I wouldn’t change it as that’s how I’ve shaped myself. Norwich always rated me highly and I was in youth England squads. I was always used in first-team training so when I went on loan to Wealdstone, I was playing catch up a bit in terms of actual games.

“There was so many long balls and direct play with decisions to make. It was great for me. Everyone’s journey is different.

“Nick Pope didn’t play much when he was young but he went right down the leagues and started to play more. Look at him now.”

That lack of minutes became an issue for Oxborough and so he sought a move away from a club he had spent 14 years of his life with. A new environment, league and team was the perfect solution. But as he arrived at Motherwell, there was another keeper standing in his way.

“I wasn’t aware of the keeper situation here until I did some research before I joined,” he explained.

“Liam Kelly had won player of the year awards and had an excellent track record. I knew there might be an opportunity to prove myself further down the line so that’s what I aimed for.

“The first year was harder because when I signed, the manager [Graham Alexander] was gone straight away. So, I had to show what I could do with a new manager and then soon after, he was gone too.

“It’s tough not being able to show what you can do and I knew there would be questions about what I was doing here and what I actually brought to the table.”

What he did bring to the table however was a professional attitude.

As a second choice keeper with limited minutes, the only way you can showcase yourself is on the training pitch, and that’s what he continued to do.

“I had a chat with the manager at the end of that first season,” Oxborough said.

“I said I understood the situation but I needed an opportunity to show what I could do. So, we agreed that I would play two of the cup games.

“It was nice to get back out on the pitch after not playing. You don’t overthink things but you think about how you’ve been waiting for this chance for so long. It puts added pressure on you.”

Those two appearances in July 2023 seen Oxborough save a pivotal penalty against Queen of the South that earned his team a bonus point and also registered a clean sheet in his second outing. But that was all the minutes he seen for the remainder of the season.

However, he remains at the club for his third season as he battles out for that number one jersey with West Ham loanee Krisztián Hegyi.

“The message to me was we think you’re good enough,” the 26-year-old said.

“There was a good understanding of the situation. I’ve been patient for two years and want to give it my all for another year.

At the end of the day, I came up here for a reason. To test myself in the SPFL.”

It’s a similar start to the season for Oxborough as he has featured in two matches during the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup, which has seen him save three penalties in shootouts.

“You don’t practice saving penalties to be honest. I think the frame helps,” he laughed.

“It’s about going the right way using the analysis. Neil Alexander is good with knowing where the player is going to go.

“On the bottle from the match against Thistle, I had a name and where they’re going to go. We have a booklet where it has their last five penalties but the bottle is more precise. I was told to be discreet about it and then I seen there was a photo of me reading it!

“I read the information and that’s where I’ll go unless I see a trigger or his body language tells me something. All the penalties against Thistle said to go right so as the shootout went on, in my mind I was thinking the takers will think he’s gone right so he’ll eventually go the other way, I got two and nearly the third.

“I’ve done better than the games last year and I’ve had a different mindset going into these games. I think last year I put too much pressure on myself, this year I’ve tried to enjoy it.”