MATCH REPORT | Glasgow Women 0-3 St Johnstone Women

St Johnstone Women put in an impressive performance at the Reigart Stadium, Cliftonhill on Wednesday evening to take a thoroughly deserved 3-0 victory over Glasgow Women. 

The 7.15pm kick off meant that some of the side were unavailable, and Scarlett Brady, Anna Murray and Steffi Simson came into the starting eleven in place of Ellie MacIver, Megan Burns and Jodie Malcolm.

The biggest news of the night was that Saints captain Hannah Clark returned to the match day squad for the first time since last year. The defender has been battling ulcerative colitis and has returned to full training in recent weeks. 

From kick off it was obvious this was going to be a physical encounter and referee Chris McLaughlin was due credit for letting the play flow. Olivia Hurrell was especially tenacious and she also had the first effort for Saints but failed to connect properly with the cross from Ellie May Cowie. Elvie McLean also had a speculative effort which went wide after twenty-six minutes. From the resulting goal kick Glasgow attacked quickly up the right flank in a move which ended up with the ball in the net, but the assistant's flag had already been raised. 

There was a gilt-edged chance just minutes later. Cowie again provided from the left crossed into Olivia Hurrell who arrived perhaps too quickly at the back post to get a controlling touch to score, and it looped over the bar. 

Another Saints attack shortly after saw crunching tackles galore, which again the referee was happy to allow, and the ball won by Hurrell was passed to Simson and wide again to Cowie on the left. Unfortunately her finish took the ball wide of Glasgow stopper Khym Ramsay's left hand post.

Hurrell came closer still to scoring, her effort from twenty five yards crashing back off the crossbar. Simson also fired wide. 

Right on the stroke of half time, Saints finally got the lead they had threatened to take throughout the first half. A Saints free kick from McLean out on the left was retaken after a Glasgow player was too close and blocked the effort. The second attempt saw a ball flighted in, resulting in a Saints corner. It was from that corner that Alix Moodie crossed in and the ball fell to Elvie McLean who fired home from just inside the penalty area.

Into the second half and Glasgow came out and were enjoying more of the game in the Saints half. With ten minutes of the second half gone, Saints doubled their lead. Steffi Simson out on the right played an exquisite pass to Ellie May Cowie, who had timed her run remarkably well to find herself one-on-one with Ramsay, and slide it past the experienced keeper. 

With fifteen minutes of the match left, Saints were awarded a penalty. Ramsay gathered a ball which Saints players believed had gone out for a corner. As the players turned to run back up the field, the assistant and referee noticed Natasha Donaghy use an arm to push a Saints player out the way, resulting in a booking and a penalty which Cowie dispatched. 

Five minutes after that, Donaghy conceded another penalty, this time tripping up Steffi Simson in the box. Cowie again stepped up for the penalty, but Ramsay denied her the opportunity of a hat-trick. It had been a quiet half for the Saints keeper Bobby Cochran, but she had to look lively to pull off a save five minutes from time to help earn her fourth clean sheet in six starts.

Saints now face second top side Kilmarnock at Riverside this Sunday with a 1pm kick off. St Johnstone season ticket holders are free, but cash only prices are £5 adults and £1 concessions. 

Saints: Cochran, Murray,. McLean (Carter), Cowie, (A.Trialist), Irvine (McCafferty), Moodie, Brady, Simson (B. Trialist), Hurrell (Sanchez), Steedman, Robertson.

Subs not used: Mitchell, Clark, Bidgood.