25 February 2019

#SWPLCup Round 1: Hamilton Academical v Spartans

Match report by Campbell Finlayson.

Spartans progressed to the Quarter-Final of the SWPL League Cup with a 4-0 win over Hamilton Academical.

A Beth McKay double and further goals from Tegan Reynolds and Louise Mason helped the SWPL 1 team to victory against last year’s relegated side.

The first half was pretty quiet, with a tame effort from distance from Tegan Reynolds the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.

It was a different story in the second half however, with the visitors taking the lead eight minutes after the restart.

Elena Santoyo-Brown saw her shot saved by Lauren Grant but when the ball was cleared to the edge of the box, Reynolds fired it goalwards and this time Grant managed to let the ball slip through her fingers and over the line, with Zoe Johnstone making sure.

That goal gave the Edinburgh side a huge boost and they had a number of chances to add to their lead soon after.

Santoyo-Brown in particular was causing havoc for the Accies defence, with Grant denying her both from distance and close range, with Louise Mason then having a shot tipped onto the bar before Santoyo-Brown fired the rebound over.

From a corner on the hour mark, Grant got down well to her right to stop the ball finding the net.

The ball was in the net soon after with Santoyo-Brown again at the heart of things, but the winger’s goal was disallowed for offside.

Spartans did double their lead though with just over 20 minutes remaining when Mason’s shot from distance was judged to have crossed the line after smacking the underside of the crossbar.

It was three minutes later when Kaela McDonald-Nguah’s shot came off the bar and fellow substitute Beth McKay headed home the rebound.

Michaela McAlonie was denied by Grant soon after with her volley tipped onto the bar before McKay added a fourth, finishing off a left sided cross from Ronaigh Douglas.

There was one final chance for the away side to add to their tally, but Johnstone’s shot was held by Grant.

Elsewhere, there were heavy wins for Glasgow City, Celtic and Motherwell as the eight SWPL 1 sides got the better of their lower league opponents to get through to the second round.

Hamilton Academical: Grant; Fitzsimmons (McWhirter, 83), Fraser, Ross (Lindsay, 59), Connolly; Anderson, Bulloch; McIntosh, Quigley, Sturrock; Sloey (Kane, 78)

Spartans: Harrison; Frew (McGonigle, 67), Murphy (McCafferty, 79), McMahon, Clelland; Douglas, Reynolds (McDonald-Nguah, 79), McAlonie; Santoyo-Brown, Mason (McKay, 73), Johnstone

Spartans Head Coach, Debbi McCulloch: