Match report: Livingston 1-4 St Johnstone WFC

St Johnstone Women put in one of their best performances of the season on Wednesday evening to defeat Livingston 4-1 at the Home of the Set Fare Arena.

Saints came into the match on the back of a defeat by the same scoreline to Aberdeen in the quarter-final of the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup on Sunday.

They also came into the match with a depleted squad due to players being ruled out through illness and unavailability.

However, a dominant performance and impressive start with some exquisite play saw the visitors three up at the break.

Olivia Hurrell saw a shot saved, with Steffi Simson turning in the box and firing over within the first 10 minutes. Just after this, Livingston had their first opportunity when Goodman was played through, but she fired wide of Bobby Cochran’s goal

Megan Wands, Daisy Smith and Simson soon linked up well on the right, with Simson crossing to the back post. Rachel Howie did well to keep the ball in play and curled an effort which went just wide.

Elvie McLean then had a shot saved by Rachel Pirie from just outside the penalty area, while Simson also went close after driving into the box.

With 20 minutes gone, the pressure eventually paid off as Saints took the lead. Simson made her way into the right-hand side of the penalty area, then squared the ball back to Hurrell who made no mistake from 12 yards out.

With half an hour gone, the lead was doubled. Chasing after a ball played out wide on the right, Simson cut back, turned into the box and curled an effort with her left foot into the far corner leaving Pirie with no chance.

A third arrived in somewhat impressive fashion with 38 minutes on the clock. In the week when Graham Carey scored a wonder goal to put Saints into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, there was something special about Niamh Irivine’s finish into the same net.

She whipped in a corner from the left and watched as it sailed all the way over attackers, defenders and goalkeeper alike into the back of the net.

Right on the stroke of half time, Saints very nearly had a fourth. Simson was once again involved crossing from the right, with Hurrell getting a header on to the back post where Howie turned and got a shot away but saw it career off the post.

Saints started the second much in the same way as they had finished the first and could have put the match out of sight in the first 10 minutes. Howie came down the left and crossed in where Hurrell got a foot to the ball but couldn’t keep her effort down and saw it go just over the bar. Howie herself then also had a powerful shot saved by Pirie.

Livingston began to get forward more than they had in the first, with Saints forced to defend a bit more and much of the match was being played out in the middle of the park.

The Saints high line was doing its job with a number offsides and Cochran sweeping away danger throughout the match. She wasn’t forced into many saves over the course of the evening, but did have one strike from Canavan which she was able to comfortably take.

Into the closing stages and Jodie Malcolm was put through on goal, but saw her strike blocked well by Pirie at the edge of her box.

In the 90th minute, the home side got a goal back. A fine ball played through the Saints defence from midfield was expertly picked up by Whitson who, having made a perfectly timed run from deep to stay onside, got ahead of Daisy Smith and slotted the ball home low past Cochran.

There didn’t look like being time for any late charge from Livingston, but into stoppage time that was confirmed.

Saints could perhaps have opted for game management, taking the ball into the corner, but not on this occasion.

Hurrell passed the ball out to Malcolm on the right who flashed an effort across the face of goal, with Pirie diving to save.

But the ball continued to the far side where Howie kept it in on the byline, cutting back to Frankie Shepherd at the near post who turned it home with a delightful backheel finish.

It was Shepherd’s first goal for the club after joining earlier in the season, and a special moment for the forward, with every single player running to join in the celebrations.

The win means Saints are now eight points ahead of Rossvale in the relegation playoff place and nine points clear of bottom side Ayr United.

Saints welcome Gartcairn to Riverside this Sunday with a 1pm kick off.  Admission is £5 adults, £1 concessions with St Johnstone season ticket holders getting in free.

Saints: Cochran, MacIver, McLean, Clark, Simson (Shepherd), Hurrell, Irvine, Smith, McMillan, Wands (Malcolm), Howie. Subs not used: Townsley, Paterson.

PHOTOS: STUART COWPER