Motherwell cruised to a momentous action-packed victory under the lights, as the women of steel dismantled a dejected Queens Park side to secure three points at K-Park on Sunday.
Louisa Boyes netted a sensational hat-trick to mark her second of November, with midfielder Mason Clark also converting her first Motherwell goal. Bailley Collins returned to the scoresheet, as second-half substitute Sarah Gibb rounded off a clinical display with a close-range finish within the final stages of the game.
Head Coach Paul Brownlie named two changes to the starting XI that were held by closet-rivals Partick thistle last weekend. Skipper Gill Inglis took a place on the bench, as defender Jo Addie returned to the Motherwell backline. Mason Clark also returned to the matchday line-up, replacing Rachel Todd in midfield. A unforeseen injury in the warm-up forced Brownlie into reversing his first team sheet change, with Addie having to drop out of the matchday squad, with Inglis returning to the starting XI.
Poised to capitalise on their recently squandered attacking opportunities, the women of steel started firmly on the front foot, and quickly found themselves on the scoresheet. A clever interchange of play enabled Boyes to skilfully evade her marker, before locating space at the edge of the Spiders penalty area, and the midfielder comfortably slotted a composed side-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.
Motherwell relentless high-press continued to frustrate the visiting backline, with the women of steel doubling their advantage moments later. A disorganised defensive clearance fell fortuitously to the feet of Mason Clark, who composed herself with a left-footed first-touch before dispatching an unpredictable right-footed half-volley into the top-right corner after first colliding with the far-post.
The Queens Park defence relented, gifting Motherwell possession deep into their final third, with Collins capitalising and soon coasting Motherwell into a commanding three-goal first-half advantage. A expertly manoeuvred set-piece routine mirrored the midweek efforts on the training-ground , as Gill Inglis picked put Collins in acres of space around 30-yards from goal, and Collins’ direction-shifting strike wrong-footed the Spider shot-stopper before nesting comfortably into the back of the visiting net.
Confidently retaining a three-goal cushion as the second-half resumed, Brownlie’s side calmly picked up from where they left off, picking up their fourth of the afternoon. Boyes skilfully worked her way through the Queens Park backline before finding herself directly through on goal, with the midfielder cushioning a curling right-footed attempt into the top-right corner.
Emma Craig pulled one back for the visitors against the run of play, drilling an exceptional strike from distance into the top-right corner of the Motherwell net.
The women of steel responded less than 10-minutes later, with Boyes completing her second hat-trick in November, finding the target from a few yards out.
Motherwell sealed the three points with almost the final kick off the ball, with Gibb back on the scoresheet, with an unmissable finish from close-range. the women of steel move three points clear of Partick Thistle in the final top-six place.
