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It was a tough end to an exhausting week of football for the women of steel, who clearly tired against their full-time counterparts in the latter stages, as Rangers racked up a scoreline not reflective of the 90-minutes.  

Paul Brownlie named five changes from the side that were narrowly defeated by league leaders Hibernian at Meadowbank on Wednesday evening. Rebecca Cameron replaced Emily Mutch in the Motherwell goal, with Rachel Todd, Lucy Barclay, Lucy Ronald and Chelsie Watson all named in the starting XI. Watson captained the side, with Inglis sidelined with injury. Rangers loanees Sophie Black and Eilidh Austin remained unavailable to play against their parent club.

Motherwell started brightly and contested a closely-fought opening 45-minutes of football, as the women of steel repelled the majority of Rangers’ attacks, and limited the hosts to few enticing opportunities on the Motherwell goal. Following an intense week of Scottish Cup Semi-Final action, and a midweek visit to league leaders Hibernian – the minutes clearly took its toll in the second-half, as Rangers capitalised, racking up several late goals, distorting the deserved scoreline. Striker Katie Wilkinson hit Motherwell for five, with Mia McAulay converting the other solitary goal.

The women of steel headed into the break one-goal behind, after Wilkinson capitalised on an unfortunate deflection that fell kindly into her path, drilling home her strike from close-range. The fatigue clearly started to show its effect, as the second-half progressed, with a delivery across the face of goal evading countless claret and amber jerseys before being dispatched by McAulay at the back post.

Wilkinson narrowly beat Cameron with her right-footed penalty kick for the hosts third, as the Scottish shot stopper got a touch, but couldn’t claw Wilkinson’s strike clear of the target.

Wilkinson netted a fourth with less than 10-minutes remaining before netting twice in the final two-minutes to compile a scoreline that doesn’t completely reflect the entire 90-minutes.

Motherwell will return to action next weekend, when they welcome visitors Hearts to K-Park.

Motherwell face their third and final matchday of the week, as they turn their attention towards Cumbernauld when they face title-chasers Rangers at Broadwood Stadium on Sunday. 

The women of steel have already faced a Scottish Cup Semi-Final against Glasgow City before competing against league leaders Hibernian at Meadowbank on Wednesday evening.

Paul Brownlie’s side will seek to reverse their previous fortunes at Broadwood following a two-nil defeat in October last year.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Motherwell have faced a tumultuous week of competitive action after experiencing the pride and heartbreak of a Scottish Cup Semi-Final defeat at Hampden Park before closely-battling league leaders Hibernian, but were left frustrated by two self-inflicted goals that gifted the hosts a narrow advantage.

A defensive mix-up win the Motherwell box allowed Hibs to capitalise after an opening period of attacking opportunities for the visitors. A corner-kick moments before half-time sealed the three-points, as Motherwell left the Scottish capital frustrated, but encouraged by their impressive display.

The women of steel will be without midfielder Sophie Black and forward Eilidh Austin, as the pair remain unavailable to play against their parent club.

Rangers

Rangers have faced a mixed week of results after securing their Scottish Cup final place following a five-nil victory over Aberdeen at Hampden Park, but a one-nil defeat to rivals Glasgow City at Ibrox extended the Gers gap to leaders Hibernian to five-points.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased online prior to the game HERE or through the turnstile at Broadwood.

• Adult – £8.
• Concession – £5.

The women of steel battled league leaders Hibernian to the final whistle but were forced to leave the Scottish capital with nothing, as the Edinburgh side capitalised on two lapses in concentration in their march towards the league title. 

Motherwell started brightly and the performance certainly looked promising in the opening 15 minutes, as the visitors pressed the Hibernian backline, but the hosts were quick to capitalise on a mistake in the Motherwell backline. McGovern netted early in the first-half to give the hosts the lead, before Reilly doubled the hosts advantage seconds before the close of the half.

Paul Brownlie – whom earlier in the day had been nominated for SWPL Manager of the Year award – named a much changed side from the Scottish Cup Semi-Final last weekend. Brodie Greenwood and Sienna McGoldrick assumed their places in midfield, with defender Jo Addie captaining the side.

Motherwell looked threatening from the beginning and were menacing when going forward, with chances falling to both Louisa Boyes and Bailley Collins. However, the hosts showed no signs of easing their SWPL title charge, and reaped the rewards seven minutes later. A weak back-pass gifted the Hibees possession in the Motherwell 18-yard-box, and McGovern raced through before watching her shot trickle over the line, giving the hosts the lead.

The home side capitalised on Motherwell’s frustrations and continued to turn up the heat moments before the half-time whistle. After another lengthy stoppage, a beautifully weighted corner found its way to Reilly in the box, who rose highest to power home into the top-corner, leaving Mutch static in the Motherwell goal .

The Motherwell stopper was soon called into action, reacting brilliantly with an outstretched leg to deny Hibs a second from close-range. Motherwell remained resolute, and pushed for a route into the game, but despite chances from Katie Rice and Eilidh Austin coming close, the hosts held out for the three-points.

A frustrating display, with positives to take for the women of steel, as they turn their attention to the weekend when they take on title chasers Rangers at Broadwood Stadium.

Fresh from their appearance at the National Stadium, Motherwell turn their attention to the Scottish capital, with league leaders and title-chasers Hibernian the hosts at Meadowbank. 

Motherwell will travel to the Leith-side outskirts of the Scottish capital, looking to redeem themselves following a spirited defeat to Glasgow City in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final last weekend.

Paul Brownlie’s side will also be looking to reverse their previous fortunes at Meadowbank following a four-nil defeat last December.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Motherwell were 90-minutes away from their first major domestic cup final since 2018, but nine-time champions Glasgow City emerged with a comfortable four-nil victory at Hampden Park.

The women of steel will leave the Southside of Glasgow encouraged by their competitive first-half display, and will look to continue to build onto their final matchday’s of the 2024/25 SWPL fixture list.

top-six shootout on hold this weekend, as they prepare for a monumental season-defining tie against Glasgow City at Hampden Park.

Paul Brownlie will near closer to a full eligible squad this evening, with Brodie Greenwood and Eilidh Austin both returning to the matchday squad.

Hibernian

Grant Scott’s side remain narrowly perched at the top of the SWPL table, two-points clear of nearest rivals Rangers, earning 20-wins from 27 top-flight fixtures this season.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased online prior to the game HERE or through the turnstile at Meadowbank.

• Adult – £8.
• Student – £5.
• Concession – £4

*Concession prices apply to under-13s and those over-65.

The women of steel fought nine-time Scottish Cup champions Glasgow City to the end, but were on the receiving end of a heavy defeat at the national stadium, as they exit the Scottish Cup at the Semi-Final stage. 

Motherwell had managed to neutralise Glasgow’s attacking threat and stood up to the initial pressure throughout much of the first-half. However, Sofia Määttä netted the breakthrough shortly after the half hour mark, before Kozlova doubled Glasgow’s lead minutes before half time. Facing a two-goal deficit at the break, the second-half soon escaped the the women of Steel’s grasp, with a Lockwood double sealing a place in the Scottish Cup Final.

Motherwell made two changes from the side that was narrowly defeated by Celtic on Sunday evening. Two-time Scottish Cup winner, Shannon Leishman, returned to the side along with Rachel Todd; both McGoldrick and Barclay settled for the bench.

Glasgow pressed Motherwell from the start and forced the women of steel to defend their penalty area throughout most of the opening phase of play. Glasgow had created the more clear-cut opportunities in the opening 30 minutes but proved to be wasteful in front of goal. The first key opportunity came for City, with Kozlova threatening the Motherwell goal, but her tame effort was easily gathered by Emily Mutch.

Glasgow continued to press and broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark. Skilful play from Lockwood took her beyond the Motherwell defence, who could only watch as she tore down the wing, with Määttä on hand to tap home.

City continued to pile on the pressure, as a heroic goalline clearance from Penman ensured that the deficit remained at one. Penman’s stupendous block was soon cancelled out by Kozlova, who joined the scoring action minutes before halftime, cutting the ball back cheekily to wrong-foot Mutch and roll in doubling Glasgow’s lead.

Glasgow City showed no signs of easing and were quick to find the net again in the second half. Provider turned goalscorer, Lockwood was afforded time in the box to fire beyond Mutch, just 12-minutes after the restart.

Lockwood wrapped up another undeniable performance from Glasgow City, as she sealed their Final place with a fourth-goal. A beautifully weighted ball over the top caught out the Motherwell defence, and with Lockwood bearing down on goal, the Motherwell backline could only watch as she turned the after burners on before slotting home.

Motherwell will feel disheartened, but proud of their exceptional Scottish Cup run, and will use this experience to fuel their final five games of the league season.

Motherwell will regroup as they turn their focus back to the league campaign with a trip to Hibernian on Wednesday night at Meadowbank.

Hampden Park. A theatre of dreams, the unbroken legacies of legends, and memories forever immortalised through the terraces. A new chapter at the historic stadium awaits this weekend, as the women of steel stride onto the glistening turf of the National Stadium to face Glasgow City. 

Paul Brownlie’s side are preparing to contest their second Scottish Cup Semi-Final in two-years, with aspirations for a trip to the final running high amongst the squad. SWPL title-chasers and nine-time Scottish Cup champions Glasgow City stand in their way.

Motherwell are seeking to reach their first Scottish Cup Final in seven years after being defeated by Hibernian in 2018. Two-time Scottish Cup champion Shannon Leishman expressed a collective eagerness to forge their way to a cup final.

“The squad are really excited,” Leishman emphasised.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity, it’s obviously a very different and daunting stage, but one we are all excited by. Every footballer wants to play in these special occasions, especially with a place in the Scottish Cup Final as the reward.

“Playing the top-six-teams on a weekly basis is the perfect preparation. We are excited by the opportunity, and are preparing in the correct manner to go and achieve a historic result.

“We’ve all had valuable minutes leading up to this weekend, the full squad are united and are ready to take this atmosphere into the game at the weekend.”

The experienced and decorated Scottish defender has already held aloft the trophy on two-occasions after featuring in the 2016-17 Hibernian squad that defeated Glasgow City on penalties before repeating that success the following season with a 3-0 victory. Despite being a two-time Scottish Cup winner, the anticipation and pressure that is associated with a game of this magnitude still resonates, but Leishman insists that the team will go out and relish the experience.

“You’ll never lose that feeling,” Leishman explained.

“I still feel the same pressure and anticipation that I felt on my first Cup Final. Every cup game is massive for the club, as we all share that belief of defying the odds and lifting silverware. You’re playing against opponents across all divisions, so every game you have to treat like a final.

“You always have the initial nerves, but as soon as you get onto the pitch and you see the other team and the crowd; that’s when you get excited. It’s always a thrilling experience, but you have to be able to cope with the added pressure in these types of cup games.”

Leishman, who has twice immersed herself in the glory of the Scottish Cup with parent club Hibernian, shared her experience of those halcyon days and the significance of the support from the stands and amongst her teammates. 

“It was just incredible,” Leishman added.

“Every footballer, no matter whether amateur or professional, dreams of cup success. Lifting any bit of silverware and achieving that milestone in your career is always special. 

“I was starting to break into the squad around that time when I was 20-years-old, and experiencing lifting the Scottish Cup twice gives you that incentive to keep that feeling every season. I think every experience you have is always a special moment, even if you aren’t playing and are on the bench, supporting your teammates is so important.

“I think that’s the mentality we all need to have this weekend, as unfortunately we can’t all be on the pitch and play. You need to have that backing within the squad, and we have a really positive core group that will support each other every step of the way.

“We’ll take this atmosphere onto the pitch, and hopefully we can leave Hampden Park knowing we’ll be back.”

The women of steel fought defending champions Celtic to the end, but were narrowly defeated by a single goal, as the visitors scraped through to end their dismal six-game winless run. 

Maria McAneny netted the breakthrough shortly after the hour-mark, curling a magnificent free-kick into the top-right corner from the edge of the penalty area, converting the visitors only clear opportunity on the Motherwell goal. Motherwell nullified the defending champions attacking threat, with Celtic creating few opportunities from open-play, but Motherwell couldn’t capitalise on their momentum in the tie.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie returned to the Motherwell technical area after serving his two-game touchline suspension. The women of steel made three changes from the side that were narrowly defeated by Hearts in the Scottish capital on Wednesday evening. Skipper Gill Inglis replaced defender Shannon Leishman, with Chelsie Watson and Brodie Greenwood also earning a place in the starting XI. Mason Clark and Rachel Todd both settled for a place on the bench.

There were few chances of note for both sides in the opening 45-minutes, with Celtic proving to be wasteful in possession, and Motherwell holding firm at the backline. The first key opportunity fell to Eilidh Austin, who tried to curl an audacious finish towards the top-left corner, but the forward couldn’t gain enough momentum on the ball as the strike fell wide of the target.

The visitors broke the deadlock midway through the second-half, with McAneny curling an unstoppable free-kick around the Motherwell wall, leaving Emily Mutch with no chance in goal.

Bailley Collins came close to equalising seconds from time, breaking through the Celtic high-press, but the forward’s drilled effort landed agonisingly wide of the top-right corner.

Motherwell will come away from K-Park feeling aggrieved to be leaving empty-handed, but will be encouraged and motivated by their impressive display against the defending champions.

Motherwell will regroup and put their league campaign to one side, as they prepare for their Scottish Cup Semi-Final tie with Glasgow City at Hampden Park next Saturday.

Motherwell swiftly move onto their third matchday of the week, as they return home to East Kilbride to face Celtic at K-Park on Sunday evening. 

The women of steel will be looking to earn a positive finale to the week after enduring defeats to both Glasgow City and Hearts.

Paul Brownlie’s side will have their sights set on earning their first points of the top-six campaign.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

The women of steel headed to the Oriam National Performance Centre on Wednesday evening and battled the full-time side closely, but an unfortunate deflection and an incredible strike from distance proved to be the difference, as Hearts narrowly merged with the three points.

Motherwell will be determined to earn their first points against the Hoops since a 0-0 stalemate in 2023 which secured Motherwell’s first-point against Celtic since 2019.

Midfielder Brodie Greenwood, who missed out against her parent club Hearts, will be eligible to return to the matchday squad. Celtic loanee Sienna McGoldrick will be unavailable.

Celtic

Defending champions Celtic have yet to emerge from a turbulent domestic campaign, with the Glasgow-side sitting fifth in the SWPL table, nine-points behind bitter rivals Rangers at the top of the league.

Ticket Information 

Adult – £8.

Concession – £3.

Under-11s – FREE TO ENTER.

Kick-off from K-Park at 4PM.