Match report: St Johnstone WFC 2-3 Gartcairn

St Johnstone Women lost to Gartcairn for the first time this season on Sunday in an entertaining match played at the Riverside.

Eirinn McCafferty, Laura Steedman and Steffi Simson came into the starting 11 in place of Niamh Irvine, Anna Murray and Olivia Hurrell from the side which had defeated Stirling 1-0 in their last outing. 

It was the away side who enjoyed the best of the early chances and possession. Kaela McDonald-Nguah, a constant threat, flashed a ball across goal from the right in the opening stages which grazed the palms of Saints stopper Bobby Cochran and cleared to safety. 

The opening goal, however, came after 13 minutes and it was for the Airdrie side when Erin Burns picked up a loose ball and made no mistake from the edge of the box.

Four minutes later Gartcairn had doubled their lead and this time it was from the penalty spot. McDonald-Nguah crossed in from the right and the ball's path into the box was stopped by the hands of Laura Steedman, albeit at close range. McDonald-Nguah stepped up herself and slotted the ball home to right of Cochran. 

Saints reacted and there was a tweaking of the shape which allowed the side to get more of a foothold in the game. There were a few enticing balls played forward with Ellie-May Cowie and Simson coming close to latching onto them.

With three minutes of the half remaining, Saints halved the arrears. A well-worked corner saw Nicole Carter cross a ball to the back post where Megan Burns’ header was blocked. But she reacted quickly to fire home from a couple yards out for her second goal in as many games. 

The second half saw Hannah Clark and Jodie Malcolm introduced for Steedman and Elvie McLean. Saints started the half the brighter of the two sides and were beginning to exert a bit of pressure on the Gartcairn defence. 

McCafferty flashed a cross into the box which Simson came so close to connecting with. Any touch would surely have taken it past McPhie. A couple of half chances and corners came and went before Saints equalised in spectacular style. 

Clark sent a free-kick forward from just inside the Saints half, which was knocked by Carter to Alix Moodie. The ball bobbled up and Moodie, all of 35 yards out, struck a ferocious first time left foot shot and the ball sailed into the top right corner.

With 15 minutes left, Gartcairn re-took the lead. Winning the ball in midfield, a through pass was played wide left which Megan Wands quickly latched onto.

She crossed the ball in from six yards from the byline and, perhaps being caught in the wind, the pace took it beyond the outstretched arm of Cochran. It came off the crossbar and dropped down over the line, with Erin Burns making sure it had at the back post. 

Burns would see a shot saved by Cochran and Clark did well to close down and block a shot from McDonald-Nguah.

At the other end, Saints pushed to once again draw level. Cowie made a great run down the left to chase a ball but, on cutting it back into the box, there wasn't a blue shirt there to get a shot on goal. McCafferty had an effort go wide and, in the final minutes, Rebecca Robertson saw a shot from a corner well saved. 

The result, coupled with Boroughmuir's 3-3 draw with Livingston, saw Saints slip to fifth on goal difference. It's Livingston that Saints play on Sunday when the sides meet at the Tony Macaroni Arena.