Stirling University 0 - 6 STJWFC

The side, wearing their new away kit for the first time this season, was the same eleven which finished victorious over Kilmarnock last Sunday.
 
Ahead of the match both teams showed their support for Show Racism The Red Card’s Match Action Campaign.
 
Saints made an immediate start once the match kicked off, scoring within two minutes through the prolific Morgan Steedman. Eilidh Begg drove down the right wing and squared a ball to Ellie-May Cowie who saw her shot from ten yards out blocked by former Saint Rebecca McMillan. The ball came back off Cowie and fell to Morgan Steedman who fired home from six yards out.
 
Saints were exerting plenty pressure on the Stirling defence, and not coming up against the same resistance which they normally do when the sides meet.  Begg and Cowie were a real threat down each flank with Scarlett Brady and Elvie McLean in midfield breaking play down and getting the ball forward.
 
The second goal coming eighteen minutes in was a scrappy affair. Megan Burns won a corner on the right which was taken by Alix Moodie. Burns got a shot away when the corner came in, which was blocked, and the ball looped up goalwards helped on by Eilidh Begg. Amy Davidson stopped the ball on the line, but it came straight back past her from the foot of Eilidh Begg who, just inches away from Davidson, really knew little about it.
 
That goal was Begg’s first for the club and her second would follow – just eight minutes later. Ellie May Cowie chased down a through ball, doing well to keep it in play, cut the ball back from junction of six yard box and byline to the back post where Begg ran in to knock the ball past substitute keeper Regan Ott.
 
With around fifteen minutes of the first half left, the game fell into a bit of a rut. Stirling began to win more possession in midfield and won a couple of corners, though they never really threatened Ellie Mitchell in the Saints goal too much from them. At the other end, there was still plenty of pressure from Saints, but no clear cut chances to bother Ott.
 
Saints emerged for the second half, shooting towards the Wallace monument end, with a renewed energy and the front three of Begg, Steedman and Cowie were continually getting forward and asking questions of the Stirling defence. Cowie had the first chance of the half, through one-on-one with Ott, she saw her shot saved by the keeper. Just shy of the hour mark Saints had their fourth. Begg once again showed pace down the right to cut into the box and side footed the ball past Ott, with defender Rebecca McMillan clearing the ball against the inside of the net.
 
Just a minute later, having not been tested at all thus far, Ellie Mitchell was called upon to make an excellent one handed save. Elise Salmond got in behind Megan Burns and cut back to veteran midfielder Emma Lyons whose right foot effort had Mitchell stretching to make an excellent one-handed save. Athina Varnava nearly went close in the scramble that followed but the ball was cleared to safety.
 
With sixty-five minutes on the clock, Ellie May got her second chance in a one-on-one with Ott. This time Cowie managed to slot the ball low past Ott into the net. Manager Jamie Reynolds began to change his team with Ellie MacIver and Nicole Carter coming for Scarlett Brady and Elvie McLean, while Jodie Malcolm and Steffi Simson were introduced for goal scorers Eilidh Begg and Ellie May Cowie. There were a few more half chances for Stirling, but the back line of McCafferty, Robertson, Clark and Burns weren’t troubled just as much as they may have expected from the university side’s performance at Riverside on the opening day of the season.
 
The newly introduced players were doing their best to keep Saints on the front foot, and the side won several corners, which led to Alix Moodie and the linesman having enlightening chats about ideal placement of the ball in the corner area, and how SFA appointments work. It would be from one of these corners the sixth goal of the afternoon came, with ten minutes left to play.
 
Moodie’s corner was headed clear of the box, and the ball played out to Morgan Steedman on the left. In a similar fashion to some of the earlier goals, her shot was blocked, and the ball sailed high and was headed back goalwards by Rebecca Robertson for her first goal for the club. Steedman was replaced by Jodie Ovens for the closing stages, and whilst Saints peppered the Stirling goal with more shots, they were unable to find a way past Ott.
 
There is now an international break before the side return to action on November 5th when league leaders Queen’s Park visit Riverside. As a result of today’s victory, and Boroughmuir’s win over Glasgow Women, Saints move up to fourth in the table.
 
 
Saints: Mitchell, Cowie (Simson), McLean (Carter), Clark, M.Steedman (Ovens), Moodie, Brady (MacIver), Begg (Malcolm), Burns McCafferty, Robertson,
 
Subs not used: Irvine, Paterson, L.Steedman, Grattan
 
Stirling: Scarratt, Ferguson, Davidson, Watson, McMillan, Jackman, Gray, Sanches, Salmond, Varnava, Kidd.
 
Subs: Ott, Hope, Cunningham, Lyons, Rupp, Armstrong, Somerville, Rainer, McGorm.

Match report by Stuart Cowper