Match report: St Johnstone WFC 0-0 Gartcairn

St Johnstone Women’s busy schedule continued on Sunday when they welcomed Gartcairn to the Riverside for league action.

It was the Saints’ third match in the space of a week and, despite plenty of hard work and determination, the game ended in stalemate in Perth.

We did have chances early in the contest, first with a Rachel Howie free-kick and then a speculative effort from out right by Steffi Simson.

Niamh Irvine had scored against Livingston direct from a corner during the week and she almost did the same after 20 minutes. Her delivery was cleared off the line.

Fifteen minutes later, Irvine had a free-kick played into the box which was punched by Lucy Inman – straight off the face of Saints defender Becky McMillan – with the ball going just past the post.

Shortly after, Inman then punched a Howie corner as far as Clark who headed it back towards goal, only to see it blocked, then half cleared with Olivia Hurrell’s half volley deflected for a corner.

The visitors soon had the perfect chance to open the scoring after Kirsty Jackson was taken down inside the box. Kayla Healey stepped up to take the penalty but put it over the bar.

Saints had half chances early on in the second half through Simson and Hurrell, but the best chances after the break - where much of the game was played out in midfield in a physical contest - fell to the visitors.

On the hour mark, Rebecca McGowan picked up on a bouncing ball as the Saints defence looked to clear, drove forward into space at the edge of the box firing over the crossbar.

There was a let off for Saints when Irvine was dispossessed 35 yards from goal by Abbi McDonald, but she rushed her shot, placing it well wide of Bobby Cochran’s left-hand post.

McGowan then had another chance five minutes from time as she picked up the ball outside the area, jinked through the Saints defence and forced a comfortable save from Cochran.

There is now a free week for Saints before welcoming bottom side Ayr United to Riverside on March 30th.

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