Latest News

Motherwell face Hearts in SWPL1 next on Sunday 6 February at The Oriam Sports Centre in Edinburgh.

Kick off is 3pm. 

Come and Watch

Tickets for the match are priced at ​​£5 for adults and £2 for U16s/Over65s. Tickets can be bought here.

There will be no option to pay at the gate on the day of the game. 

Tale of the Tape

Last time out, Motherwell came away with a comfortable 2-0 win against Hearts at Alliance Park.

A Leanne Crichton penalty opened the scoring, before Kaela McDonald-Nguah doubled ‘Well’s advantage. 

Motherwell have won each of the last four encounters against the Jambos, conceding only one goal in the process. 

The last time Hearts took any points in this fixture, was in 2018 when the sides met in SWPL2. The score was 1-1. 

Form Guide  

Hearts currently occupy eighth in the table with ten points. Since the return from the winter break, they have one win in five in all competitions, that win coming against Gleniffer Thistle in the Scottish Cup. 

Last week, they were beaten 2-0 by Glasgow City, after drawing 1-1 with Spartans the week prior. 

Motherwell come into this game after claiming seven points from a possible 14.

They dispatched Spartans 3-0 in their previous game to go four points clear of Aberdeen in fifth place in the table. 

London Pollard netted her first Motherwell goals as she grabbed a double, whilst Jo Addie added a third in the second half. 

Motherwell pair Ciara Duff and London Pollard have been called up to represent Scotland in a double header against Wales this month. 

Goalkeeper Ciara Duff, who was in the Under 19s squad last month, will once again be looking to impress manager Pauline Hamill and cement a place in her team. 

After netting her first goals for Motherwell last weekend against Spartans, Pollard is also once again selected as she continues her development. 

Scotland face off against Wales on Tuesday 15 February and Friday 18 February.

Motherwell cruised to their fifth league victory after defeating Spartans 3-0 in a phenomenal performance at Alliance Park on Sunday.

London Pollard netted her first Motherwell goal to put the women of steel in the ascendency, before adding her second of the match on the stroke of half time.

Jo Addie fired an exceptional third midway through the second half to secure all three points.

Looking to build on their performance in the midweek defeat to Hibernian, ’Well applied the early pressure and deservedly broke the deadlock after five minutes.

Pollard skilfully latched onto Kaela McDonald-Nguah’s through ball, before coolly dispatching her strike into the bottom-left corner to give her side the early advantage.

After dominating much of the early possession, Motherwell continued to threaten and came agonisingly close to doubling their advantage midway through the first half.

Katie Rice’s pinpoint delivery accurately picked out McDonald-Nguah deep into the Spartans penalty area, but the forward was unable to capitalise at the back post.

With the half time whistle looming, Motherwell were reduced to 10 as McDonald-Nguah was given her marching orders, much to the bewilderment of the Motherwell technical area.

However, despite the disadvantage, Motherwell pressed forward and deservedly netted a second on the stroke of half time.

Pollard’s perfectly-timed run exploited Spartans’ high defensive line, allowing the striker to race through on goal. She skilfully rounded the keeper before calmly placing her strike into the empty net.

With the second half underway, the women of steel continued to advance in search of a vital third goal.

Their efforts were rewarded as Leanne Crichton’s exceptional cross accurately picked out Addie at the back post, who composed herself before rifling a spectacular half-volley into the top left corner.

With the final few minutes ticking away, the visitors searched for a late consolation. Sarah Clelland’s long-range attempt swerved unpredictably in the stormy conditions, but Khym Ramsay reacted quickly to produce a smart stop.

Nevertheless, the hosts stood resolute to record their fifth victory in the SWPL1 this season.

Paul Brownlie will be encouraged by his side’s performance as they look to extend their advantage over Aberdeen in the league table with a win away to Hearts next week.

Lifelong Motherwell supporter Amy Anderson is loving life after making her dream move to join the women of steel.

The former Hamilton captain has been decked out in claret and amber for as long as she can remember and is now living the dream on a weekly basis – turning out for the club she loves in SWPL1.

She is playing a big role, too. On Sunday she captained the side for the second time since arriving last summer, as they recorded a 2-1 victory at Accies to move back into the top half of the table – keeping the women of steel on course for their highest ever league finish.

“I’ve loved every minute of being here, I’d not worked with Paul (Brownlie) or Leanne (Crichton) before signing for Motherwell, but had played with some of the girls,” Anderson said. “I feel in the six months I have been here, I’ve become a better player.

“Paul sold me on joining the club, I’d heard a lot of good things about him and a number of players that he has coached are now playing for the national team.

“I felt Motherwell was a step up from Accies and the calibre of the players they were signing showed that. I wanted the chance to play with quality players like Leanne Crichton – I’m a midfielder as well and was looking for the opportunity to be playing beside her, which I’m lucky enough to do so at the moment.”

Sunday’s victory was Motherwell’s first of 2022, having drawn twice with Partick Thistle 2-2 in the space of seven days earlier this month. The first meeting with the Jags came in the Scottish Cup and in the end Brownlie’s side suffered an agonising penalty shootout defeat to exit the competition at the first hurdle.

Anderson admits their cup defeat came as a big disappointment and demonstrated there is still room for improvement in the latter stages of the season.

“Obviously the cup was disappointing, but as soon as it happened, we focused on putting it right in training,” she reflected. “Against Partick the following week we put in an improved performance although we were denied the win by an unfortunate mistake.”

During her brief time with Motherwell, Anderson has already experienced a few bucket-list moments, including her first goal in claret and amber and captaining the side, though she still has one more target in her sights.

This season Motherwell have put down roots at Alliance Park, the home of Lowland League side Caledonian Braves after years of flitting between various venues in the local area.

Anderson hopes that having a settled home ground will bring more consistent results, but admits the opportunity to play at Fir Park would be a dream come true.

“The manager has made me one of the vice captains this season, and I didn’t actually realise Gill (Inglis) was missing the game,” she recalled. “He phoned me on the morning of the game and said ‘you are captain today’, that was for the game against Celtic – I was quite taken aback, but it felt amazing to be fair.

“Getting the chance to wear the armband again for the Accies game at the weekend was brilliant, it was a big game against my former club and we were buzzing to get the win.

“I hope the chance to play at Fir Park is not too far away, I think with what Paul is doing behind the scenes and the support from Alan Burrows, that day might not be too far away – it would be a dream to walk out on to the pitch for a match.

“The only time I have stepped on the grass was with the Under 13s, we came on at half-time after we’d won a trophy, to do it with the first team would be amazing.”

As a youth player, Anderson was involved with Motherwell’s Under 13s team, before moving on to Glasgow City in a move which she felt best suited her football development.

On returning to the club, she has been impressed by the changes that have been implemented to the women’s setup, with young players having a clear pathway to the first team.

The Motherwell Girls’ Academy recently hosted an academy trial session at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility and a glowing endorsement for the progress being made followed as Ciara Duff, Jemma Hughes, Paige McAllister and London Pollard were all called up for the Scotland Under 19s women’s training camp.

“I was with the academy until Under 13s, though at that time Motherwell didn’t have a structure in place and that meant I had to move away,” she added. “Moving to Glasgow City allowed me to come on as a player and I got a few Scotland caps at Under 17s.

“It’s good to see some of the younger players receive recognition at Under 19s and hopefully they will be selected for the games as well, it would be great for Motherwell players to represent Scotland again.

“The four players that got selected deserve it, a lot of them only came to Motherwell this season and it shows the level of ambition they feel the club can give them, as well as a belief that the club can help them keep progressing through the international setup as well.”

In recent years, the success of the Scottish national team and increased coverage of the domestic game has helped increase the focus on the women’s game in Scotland.

Crowds continue to slowly rise, while the misconceptions and negative stereotypes are being more and more eroded from the game.

However, it comes as Stenhousemuir players were targeted for abuse following their Scottish Cup tie with Rangers.

Anderson admits these stories are frustrating to read, and believes they come from a place of ignorance.

“The people that make these comments tend to never have watched a game,” she said. “To comment on something as pathetic as that is really embarrassing.”

Sat alongside her dad Gary, Amy takes her usual seat in the Davie Cooper Stand.

The midfielder has been obsessed with all things ‘Well for as long as she remembers and credits her dad for his influence.

That is not to say it has always been as straightforward however, during her five seasons with Hamilton, Gary was faced with a predicament – could he bring himself to cheer on the Accies?

“The club means everything to me, as soon as I was old enough my dad had me in a Motherwell strip,” she added. “Not long after my first shirt, I had one with my name on the back and then I got my first season ticket – I’ve sat in the Davie Cooper Stand ever since.

“I think Motherwell might be punching above their weight again, but the quality we have middle to front can definitely hurt teams – if we can keep up the form we are in then we can certainly challenge for a European spot.

“My dad is a diehard ‘Well fan, he can be a bit cringy sometimes, but he’s really enjoying watching me play for the club.

“He used to say he didn’t like shouting ‘Come on Accies’, but felt like he had to because I was in the team. When I joined Motherwell he got the home strip with my name on the back – he was delighted.”

A huge influence on her career, Anderson will be forever grateful for her dad’s support.

Whether it be a home game at Alliance Park or long away trip, he is sure to be there to support his daughter and afterwards he will share his critique of her performance, focusing on both the positives and the negatives.

“My dad showed massive support to me, if we are playing Aberdeen he’ll try get the day off work to come, if it is a midweek in Edinburgh, he’ll do everything he can to be there,” she smiled.
“I appreciate his support so much, he doesn’t miss a game for me.

“When I come home he’ll tell me what I did well and tells me what he thinks I could improve on – he wants me to be the best version of myself – that drives me on every time I play.”

Motherwell face off against Edinburgh side Spartans on Sunday 30 January at Alliance Park. 

Kick off is 4pm. 

Come and Watch

Tickets for the game are priced at £5 for adults while children go free. 

Entry is paid at the gate. 

Tale of the Tape

Motherwell and Spartans have played each other once this season so far.

At Ainslie Park, the game ended 0-0 with Motherwell playing 20 minutes with ten players after Paige McAllister was dismissed. 

Both sides have ambitions of finishing fifth place this season, with only a point separating the two sides. 

Spartans have picked up three wins from the last six games against Motherwell, with the other three ending in draws. 

Form Guide

Both sides played fixtures midweek, with Motherwell falling to a narrow loss to top-four side Hibernian 1-0. 

Motherwell have picked up four points from a possible nine, with a victory against Hamilton and a 2-2 draw against Partick Thistle. 

Spartans drew 1-1 with Hearts midweek. Since the return from the winter break, they have beaten Morton Girls in the Scottish Cup 11-0. 

They staged a remarkable comeback against Aberdeen, where they won 3-2 and lost to Glasgow City 4-0

Despite a hearty and robust Motherwell performance, Hibernian came away with maximum points on Wednesday night at Penicuik Park.

In a game of very few opportunities, Kirsty Morrison’s second half strike was enough to give the Hibees three points in a 1-0 win.

Hibernian controlled most of the possession in the opening exchanges without really creating a clear cut chance.

Siobhan Hunter had an effort from distance but was well over Khym Ramsay’s crossbar.

Motherwell grew into the game as the half went on and London Pollard had the best chance for the women of steel.

On 35 minutes, the striker was put through on goal, however put her effort wide of the mark.

Hibernian looked to start the second half with a bang, Morrison got down the right wing before crossing into the box looking for Amy Gallacher. However, it just evaded her.

The home side broke the deadlock on 54 minutes.

Alexa Coyle turned and drilled a low cross into the danger area and Morrison finished to score the only goal of the game.

Leanne Crichton had an opportunity to get Motherwell on level terms. The midfielder had a go from a free-kick from 25 yards, which went agonisingly wide from the post.

The away side pushed for an equaliser in a much improved second half performance, but were unfortunate not to draw level in the final stages of the game.

Motherwell now turn to Spartans on Sunday back at Alliance Park, with an opportunity to go four points clear in fifth place.

Motherwell will be looking to follow up on their fine Lanarkshire derby win when they take on Hibernian.

Kick off at Penicuik Athletic Park on Wednesday 26 January is at 7pm.

Tale of the Tape

Last time out, Hibernian ran out 4-0 victors at Alliance Park at the start of the season in SWPL1. 

In the two games prior to this meeting, the Hibees won by a one-goal margin on both occasions, winning 1-0 and 3-2 respectively. 

After their 2-1 victory against Hamilton on Sunday, the women of steel are one place and six points behind Hibernian going into the game. 

Form Guide

Hibernian faced off against top of the table Rangers in their previous outing, where the Gers won 2-1. 

They have accumulated five points out of a possible 18 in their last six matches, scoring six goals in the process. 

Motherwell climbed up to fifth in the table and bettered their 2020/21 SWPL1 points total after a victory at New Douglas Park against Hamilton.

Leanne Crichton and Carla Boyce got the goals, whilst Chelsie Watson rattled the post from the penalty spot in the first half. 

Motherwell cruised to their fourth league victory and second Lanarkshire derby triumph after defeating local rivals Hamilton 2-1.

Paige McAllister’s close-range finish put the women of steel in the ascendency midway through the first half, before Carla Boyce netted the second early into the second half.

In the dying stages of the game, Josi Giard netted Hamilton a late consolation.

Looking for their second Lanarkshire derby victory of the season, ‘Well applied the early pressure and came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock after 15 minutes.

Lori Gardner skillfully worked her way into the box, nutmegging her opponent in the process, before picking out Amy Anderson at the edge of the box, but the midfielder lost her footing and sent her effort well over the bar.

After controlling much of the early possession, Motherwell continued to threaten and deservedly netted the opener minutes later.

Leanne Crichton’s pinpoint delivery was poorly misjudged by Hamilton stopper Jeni Currie, and her looping cross ricocheted off the bar to the feet of McAllister, who coolly slotted her strike home from close range.

Hamilton thought they had brought themselves level 10 minutes later. Tiree Burchill quickly closed down Khym Ramsay’s clearance, and the striker raced through to tap in the rebound. However, the referee adjudged that Ramsay was fouled in the build-up, and the equaliser was soon disallowed.

With the half-time whistle looming, Motherwell pressed forward in search of a vital second goal as Gardner continued to cause the hosts problems.

The winger skipped past several lacklustre Hamilton challenges before being impeded in the box, leaving the referee no alternative but to award the spot kick. Boyce stepped up, but the striker’s low effort rattled off the post, allowing the keeper to easily gather.

Minutes into the second half, the visitors doubled their advantage.

Katie Rice’s perfectly weighted cross fell kindly to Boyce deep into the Hamilton penalty area, and the forward calmly placed her strike past Currie to put the visitors in control of the tie.

With the final few minutes ticking away, the hosts netted a late consolation. Giard latched onto Hannah Coakley’s long ball, and the striker’s exquisite finish left Ramsay with no chance.

This result will be a confidence booster for Motherwell as Paul Brownlie’s side move into fifth place and two points clear of Spartans, who they will face at the end of the month.