Stenhousemuir squeeze into Barclays Championship top six as Renfrew go top
Stenhousemuir edged into the top six of the Barclays Scottish Women’s Championship with a 3-2 home win over Forfar Farmington in the last game before the league split, helped by two key calls from a Video Assisted Referee which was being tested at the game.
Emily Dalgetty had given Forfar a 1-0 lead at half time before Anna Forbes doubled the visitor’s tally early in the second half.
But on the hour mark Forfar goalkeeper Katie White was sent off after a VAR review judged she had handled the ball outside of her box, and within ten minutes the hosts had pulled one back through Kyla Thomson. Just minutes later VAR intervened again to award Stenny a penalty and Mollie Gidney equalised from the spot.
With five minutes to go Cerys Corey drove forward to add a winner and ensure her side replaced their visitors in the top half of the table.
Renfrew Ladies have gone top of the Barclays Championship for the first time with a 3-0 win at Ayr United. Louise Cameron put Renfrew ahead before Ayr keeper Murray was also sent off for handling outside the box, leaving striker Rachel Scott to deputise between the sticks. Paige Henry added a brace to send Renfrew two points above Falkirk at the top of the table as the league splits into a top six and bottom five.
Elsewhere bottom two sides Morton and Armadale Thistle both earned a point in 1-1 draws against Dryburgh Athletic and Rossvale respectively, meaning there is still only two points between them and closing the gap with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who sit in ninth only six points from the relegation playoff place after losing 6-1 to Bonnyrigg Thistle.
In Barclays League One, Inverurie Locos sit in sixth after a 2-0 victory over bottom side Edinburgh Caledonia, but may yet miss out on a top-half finish if Westdyke win their rearranged tie against Cambusdoon next week. Westdyke put themselves in that position with a 2-0 win over Airdire in a blustery hailstorm. Edinburgh Caley now find themselves 12 points adrift in the automatic relegation spot with four games left, so must win every game to survive in the national leagues.
At the other end of the table, St Mirren cut the gap to leaders Elgin City to four points after a late goal from Kaitlyn Irvine sealed a 2-1 victory at Cambusdoon, while Dunipace kept up in third with an impressive 2-0 win over Queen of the South, only the Doonhammers’ second league defeat of the season. Glenrothes Strollers edged the Fife derby against Dunfermline Athletic 2-1, thanks to an Anne Money brace. Pars kid Aine Mulholland scored her first senior goal for the hosts.
