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Misfortunes on the road have continued to hinder the early signs of optimism for the women of steel, as defeat to league leaders Celtic last weekend compounded what has been a disappointing month for Paul Brownlie’s side.

Motherwell return to K-Park this weekend looking to restore their impressive start in East Kilbride, with three wins from four at home maintaining some momentum despite evident struggles away from home, and midfielder Louisa Boyes believes sticking together will be key to turning results around.

“We know we are better than what we have showed in the past few games,” said Boyes.

“The morale within the group has been good, we know collectively the strengths we have as a team and now it’s about sticking together and putting in the hard work on the pitch.

“We have the belief within the squad to know we can turn the results around and start performing.”

The squad have been left to reflect on a disappointing Sky Sports Cup campaign, as defeat to newly-promoted Montrose at Links Park saw the women of steel suffer a frustrating early exit.

Narrow defeats to Partick Thistle and Hibernian have also left the side to rue squandered opportunities in the league campaign, as their aspirations of a top-six finish remain a distant prospect, but Boyes understands what is required to meet the challenges ahead.

“I think we’ve let ourselves down in terms of how we have performed,” Boyes explained.

“We’ve had some close games but ultimately mistakes and not taking our chances have cost us. We know we have to be more clinical and start taking points from these games.

“Every game we play in the league is always a challenge, but we know how important this week is and we need to make sure we start collecting points and pushing up the table.”

After narrowly staving off a relegation play-off place last season, Dundee United initially struggled to build upon where they left off last season, picking up one point from their opening four league games.

United have since secured their first two victories of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign in an exhilarating eight-goal thriller against Hamilton and victory over Aberdeen last weekend.

As Motherwell look to get their domestic form back on track, Boyes detailed what Head Coach Paul Brownlie’s message was to the players ahead of what will be a vital encounter with the side from the City of Discovery this weekend.

“[The manager] highlighted how important it was that we recover and be ready for Sunday,” said Boyes.

“Everyone involved within the club knows the past few results haven’t reflected the potential of our squad, the reaction shown in training this week has been positive and we will be looking to take that into Sunday’s game.

Full details of Sunday’s encounter with Dundee United can be found here:

Motherwell return home to K-Park after almost a month-long hiatus, with the women of steel looking to overturn a disappointing recent run of form whilst retaining their impressive start in East Kilbride.

The women of steel suffered a confidence-draining defeat to league leaders Celtic last weekend, compounding a tough month of results for Paul Brownlie’s side.

A return to K-Park will be a welcome break for the hosts who have secured three wins from four at home this season, but have since struggled to replicate their form on the road, with the side yet to pick up their first points.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

K-Park has proven to be a formidable venue for travelling sides this season, with Spartans, Hamilton and Montrose all leaving East Kilbride empty-handed.

Brownlie’s side have netted eight times at home thus far, with Montrose the only side to find the target with a late consolation.

Motherwell have only suffered one defeat from their last five against United, as a Carla Boyce double was cancelled out by strikes from Robyn Smith, Jade McLaren, Dannielle McGinley and Neve Guthrie in their last meeting.

Dundee United

After narrowly staving off a relegation play-off place last season, Dundee United initially struggled to build upon where they left off last season, picking up one point from their opening four league games.

United have since secured their first two victories of the 2023/24  SWPL campaign in an exhilarating eight-goal thriller against Hamilton and victory over Aberdeen last weekend.

Ticket information

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £8
• Concession – £3
• Under 11s – Free to enter.

*Concession tickets apply to those over 65, and to 12–17-year-olds, with full-time students also eligible with a valid matriculation card.

Additional information – no pets allowed within K-Park.

How to follow the action

Supporters can follow Sunday’s encounter on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match.

It was an afternoon to forget for Motherwell, as the women of steel suffered a confidence-draining defeat at the hands of league leaders Celtic who cruised to a commanding six-goal advantage to extend their lead at the top of the SWPL league table.

An Aimee Gallacher and Katherine Loferski double was soon followed by strikes from Chloe Craig and former Motherwell striker Tiree Burchill to compound another frustrating experience on the road for Paul Brownlie’s side.

Brownlie made two changes from last weekend’s cup exit to Montrose, with Tara McGonigle and Jo Addie both returning to the starting XI, as Hannah Cunningham and Murron Cunningham settled for a place on the bench.

Looking to finally conclude their struggles away from home, a well-structured Motherwell side started brightly, limiting Celtic opportunities in the final third whilst creating chances on the break.

However, Motherwell were left to reflect on their positive opening to the game, as Celtic capitalised on a fast-paced counter-attack. Shen Menglu’s driving run from the left caught the Motherwell backline in knots before firing a low delivery across the face of goal, which Gallacher coolly dispatched form close-range.

The hosts doubled their advantage five minutes later, as Natalie Ross’ low delivery from the right was met by Loferski who directed a low effort into the bottom-right corner, beyond the reach of Emily Mutch.

Fran Alonso’s side had a third less than four-minutes later, as Craig powered home a well-placed header from Shen Mengyu’s floated corner kick, with Motherwell’s positive opening passage of play and structured game plan undone in a brief spell of complacency.

Celtic’s fourth came on the half-hour mark in similar circumstances to the opening few goals. Paula Partido’s low cross from he right flashed across the face of goal, and a clever first touch from Loferski allowed the striker to evade Gill Inglis’ late lunging tackle before netting her second of the afternoon.

The league leaders had five on the stroke of half-time, as Gallacher pickpocketed Addie deep into the Motherwell final third, and the striker calmly placed her effort past Mutch to secure a commanding five-goal lead at the break.

Celtic rounded off the afternoon on the hour mark, as former Motherwell striker Burchill drilled an exceptional effort from the edge of the penalty area which ricocheted off of both posts before nestling into the bottom-right corner.

The women of steel will return to action, with Dundee United the visitors at K-Park next weekend.

Kayla Jardine has re-joined the club on a short-term loan deal from Rangers.

The 18-year-old, who extended her stay at the club this summer after signing a short-term loan deal in January, was recalled to her parent club before making her first appearance of the 2023/24 SWPL campaign, as injury woes hampered the Glasgow side.

Jardine will now return to the club until January, looking to build upon the three goals netted across her first spell in Lanarkshire.

“I am extremely happy to get this over the line and can’t wait to get started,” Jardine said.

“This is a great opportunity to further my development as a player and I can’t wait to get back into it.”

Jardine, who was initially Brownlie’s seventh summer signing, will be available for this Sunday’s encounter with league leaders Celtic.

“Excellent addition to the squad,” head coach Paul Brownlie said.

“Kayla’s a very versatile, exciting young player who brings real creativity. We had to be patient, but I’m delighted its done and now the Motherwell support can look forward to seeing Kayla in claret and amber.”

Looking to put a weekend of cup disappointment firmly in the past, the women of steel return to league action this weekend, as Motherwell seek to end their recent winless run against title-chasers Celtic.

Motherwell’s pre-international break woes persisted on their return in the East coast, as a prolific Montrose racked up three second-half goals to secure their place in the second round of the Sky Sports Cup, with Motherwell suffering a disappointing early exit.

Paul Brownlie’s side will now travel to the Excelsior stadium, as they look to conclude their misfortunes on the road.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

The visitors exceptional start to the league campaign saw Motherwell record three wins from their opening five league games, however the women of steel have since faced a strenuous couple of months, with four successive defeats in all competitions.

Battling performances against Partick Thistle and Hibernian unfortunately yielded no points, with narrow one-goal deficits ultimately deciding the tie.

Motherwell will be looking to replicate their previous performance against the Glasgow outfit, as neither side found the target which transpired to be an historic point in the last meeting in January.

Celtic

Last season’s Scottish Cup champions Celtic have picked up where they left off last season, with an impeccable eight successive victories in all domestic competitions, placing the Glasgow side one point behind league leaders and fierce rivals Rangers with a game to spare.

Celtic have proven to be prolific in-front of goal whilst remaining compact and difficult to break down at the back, as Fran Alonso’s side netted 41 goals and conceded only five in their opening seven league games.

Ticket Information

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture. Supporters can purchase tickets here:

• Adult – £8
• Under 16s – £4 (Proof of age may be required)
• Adult & Child (U16) – £10

How to follow the action

Those attending Excelsior Stadium will be able to access the ground from 13:30 ahead of a 14:00 kick off. Supporters can follow Sunday’s encounter on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match.

Motherwell’s pre-international break woes persisted on their return in the East coast, as a prolific Montrose racked up three second-half goals to secure their place in the second round of the Sky Sports Cup, with Motherwell suffering a disappointing early exit.

Aimee Ridgeway broke the deadlock early into the second-half, with Neve Guthrie quickly doubling the hosts advantage on the hour mark. Louise Brown added a third in the latter stages to compile Motherwell’s misery on the road.

Head coach Paul Brownlie made three changes from the previous defeat to Hibernian, as Murron Cunningham, Katie Rice and Bailley Collins all returned to the starting XI. Academy graduate Hannah Cairns secured a pace on the bench whilst Carla Boyce and Kaela McDonald-Nguah led the line.

Keen to break their three game winless run of form, Motherwell started firmly on the front foot, with Collins coming agonisingly close to an opener in the early exchanges.

The wingers strike from distance changed direction in the air, leaving the Montrose stopper scrambling, as the ball rattled off the crossbar. Carla Boyce prodded home the rebound, but the strikers celebrations were quickly cut short, as Boyce narrowly strayed offside.

Motherwell were awarded a penalty minutes later, as Louisa Boyes’ clever first-touch caught the defender off-balance, and a reckless challenge left the referee no alternative but to award the spot kick. McDonald-Nguah stepped up and saw her penalty parried clear by Lauren Perry in the Montrose goal. A moment which soon reflected the visitors afternoon.

Louisa Boyes had the ball in the net as the half-time whistle approached, but the referee adjudged an offside in the build-up which kept the scoreline intact.

As the second half resumed, Montrose netted the opener. Substitute Flo Bruce’s delivery was met by Ridgeway near the edge of the box, and the forwards powerful attempt sailed into the top-left corner.

The hosts soon doubled their advantage, as Charlotte Gammie’s delivery from the right was parried clear by Mutch, but only to the feet of Guthrie who fired home from close range.

With the women of steel desperately searching for a route back into the game, Montrose secured a decisive third on the counter attack.

Guthrie capitalised on Motherwell’s high defensive line, racing in-behind before picking out Louise Brown inside the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly placed a low effort into the bottom-right corner to earn her sides place in the third round of the Sky Sports Cup.

Motherwell will turn their attention to league action with Celtic the hosts at the Excelsior Stadium.

Narrowly missing out on top-six football was a bitter pill for Paul Brownlie’s side to swallow last season, but the campaign was littered with success. Beating the previous highest points total in the league but also reaching the semifinal of the Scottish Cup and becoming the first domestic women’s team to step onto the Hampden turf was just two of those successes.

It was a historical moment and despite a 2-0 defeat to Rangers on the day, it has given everyone within the squad the taste of a cup run, something they want to repeat this year. In Sky Sports cup action this weekend, Motherwell travel north to newly promoted Montrose in the second round, looking to get off to the best possible start and overcome the first hurdle.

For summer signing Hannah Cunningham however, reflecting on last season’s cup run with Glasgow Women was not one to fondly remember as her side were beaten by Motherwell, one stage before Hampden.

“The team had a great run last year,” said Cunningham.

“I was on the losing side in the quarter final, so felt the opposite feelings to the team, but for us to have another run this season only increases momentum, and as a squad we should always be aiming to achieve results in any game that we play.

“Going to their ground will be difficult and we can’t underestimate them, but concentrating on our game plan and executing it effectively will be crucial for us to get into the next round of the cup.”

Motherwell’s last victory in the domestic calendar came against the Gable Endies earlier this month, with strikes from Katie Rice, Louisa Boyes and Kaela McDonald-Nguah securing a comprehensive 3-1 victory at K-Park.

“The first game we played against Montrose was a test for us, as all games are in this league,” Cunningham said.

“We played some good football in spells, but we can always improve on our own performance, and I think that’s definitely something we identified moving forward.

“We’ve had some very good performances so far this season, but as Paul has said, it’s small details in some of those games that has let us down. It’s crucial for us as a squad to regroup and fix the small details.”

Arriving from Glasgow Women in the summer, Cunningham has instantly cemented her place at the core of the Motherwell backline, aiding a seamless transition to ML1 which the defender noted was an attractive move.

“Moving to Motherwell was a very attractive move for me,” Cunningham explained.

“Playing against Paul and Leanne on numerous occasions last year, you could see the standards set here. I always want to improve and push my levels as far as possible, so they were a huge influence on me coming here for sure.

“I’ve been settling in well within the team and getting used to the high demands set on us. It’s a very competitive and challenging environment to step into, which is always a positive, and we are moving in the right direction each day as a squad.”

Cunningham’s first taste of top-flight football in Scotland came last season in Glasgow Women’s maiden SWPL campaign, an experience that has proved instrumental this time around.

“Last year was an extremely good experience,” Cunningham added.

“Getting to know and testing yourself against some of the best players in the country will only improve personal performances. Even though last season didn’t end on a positive note, I hope to bring the experiences I gained into my game here at Motherwell.

“Morale is very strong within the group, the experienced players are always trying to help newer players strive to be successful within the team, and there’s also a great sense of togetherness within the squad.”

Following an extended international break, the women of steel return to action in the Sky Sports League Cup, as Paul Brownlie’s side look to replicate last season’s Scottish cup successes which saw the side overcome Gartcairn, Montrose and Glasgow Women before facing Rangers in a closely-fought Semi-Final at Hampden Park.

The brief hiatus from the domestic calendar has allowed the squad the ideal opportunity to regroup following a tough final week, with competitive performances against Partick Thistle, Rangers and Hibernian yielding no points.

With a trip to Links Park on the horizon, Motherwell will be looking to finally conclude their misfortunes on the road and secure their second victory over Montrose this season.

The Tale of the Tape

Motherwell

The women of steel will be keen to replicate their league victory over Sunday’s hosts, as they prepare to kickstart their league cup campaign.

Motherwell’s last victory in the domestic calendar came against the Gable Endies earlier this month, with strikes from Katie Rice, Louisa Boyes and Kaela McDonald-Nguah securing a comprehensive 3-1 victory at K-Park.

The women of steel will be looking to surpass last-season’s Quarter-Final exit to eventual champions Rangers, with the side envisioning a place in the latter stages of the competition.

Montrose

The hosts have had a tough start to life in the SWPL after their title-deciding SWPL 2 campaign last season, with the side picking up one win from their opening eight league encounters.

A heavy defeat to Rangers will have drained much optimism gained from their historic first Premier Legue victory over Dundee United in the same week.

The Links Park side will be keen to establish a lengthy cup run to support their efforts in their maiden league campaign.

Ticket Information

Cash & card payments are also available for this fixture.

• Adult – £7
• Concession – £5
• Under 16s – Free to enter when accompanied by an adult.

*Concession tickets apply to those over 65, and to full-time students eligible with a valid matriculation card.

How to follow the action

Supporters travelling to Links Park will be available to access the ground within the hour prior to kick-off at 1PM.

Sunday’s encounter can be followed online on Twitter @motherwellwomen, with a full report of the action available post-match.