Picture via @MotherwellLFC on Twitter.
The Scottish Building Society SWPL returned with eight exciting games. Forfar Farmington marked their return to the top flight with a win, whilst Central Girls won their debut SBS SWPL 2 match.
Scottish Building Society SWPL 1
Hamilton Academical 0-1 Forfar Farmington
HIGHLIGHTS | @GBOT4001 and John Mathers bring all the action from Sunday’s narrow opening day defeat in the SWPL against Forfar.
?? https://t.co/RGPQfuxNQx pic.twitter.com/4urbpiNKoc
— Hamilton Academical WFC (@accieswfc_co_uk) February 12, 2018
Forfar Farmington marked their return to the top flight with an impressive win over Hamilton Academical.
This was always going to be an intriguing tie with the 2016 SBS SWPL 2 champions facing the 2017 SBS SWPL 2 winners.
The only goal of the game came in the 53rd minute as Robyn Smith converted Julia Scott’s cross to give the visitors the lead.
As the snow came down, Hamilton looked for an equaliser but it would be Forfar who came away with the big three points.
Glasgow City 6-0 Stirling University
GCFC TV | AMAZING GOAL!
An @SWPL goal of the season contender already on day 1?!
Stunning from @Joanne__Paton. pic.twitter.com/sgLt1TQj10
— Glasgow City FC (@GlasgowCityFC) February 12, 2018
Glasgow City started their defence to their SBS SWPL 1 title with a highly impressive 6-0 win over Stirling University.
Seven minutes in, City took the lead through Abbi Grant who found the far corner with a driven shot.
Jo Love doubled their lead before Hayley Lauder managed to round the keeper to make it 3-0 in the 21st minute.
The final three goals came in the final stages of the game. In the 86th minute, Nicola Docherty slid the ball under the goalkeeper before Megan Foley scored their fifth in the 90th minute.
Joanne Paton scored their final goal with a superb strike from outside the box, picking out the top corner.
Celtic 3-0 Rangers
??? Match Report| Celtic FC Women kicked off the new @SWPL season with a 3-0 win over rivals Rangers. Check out the full match report on the official @CelticFC Website ? (EG)https://t.co/5obOyf0MKQ
— CelticFCWomen (@CelticFCWomen) February 12, 2018
A brace from debutant Nicole Pullar and one from Ruesha Littlejohn saw Celtic beat Rangers 3-0 in the Old Firm.
Celtic took the lead in the 27th minute after Pullar managed to force the ball over the line from a corner.
Pullar scored her second, four minutes into the second half. Once again, the goal coming from a corner.
Their third came in the 55th minute as Sarah Ewens found Ruesha Littlejohn and she fired the ball past Rangers’ debutant keeper, Khym Ramsay, with a superb finish.
Hibernian 3-0 Spartans
? | Hibernian striker, @kateyturner96, certainly made an impact coming off the bench yesterday, giving the Hibees a two-goal lead with two great goals. Which one was your favourite? pic.twitter.com/cLY6LmDI2v
— Hibernian Ladies FC (@HibsLadies) February 12, 2018
In the Edinburgh Derby in SBS SWPL 1, Hibernian beat Spartans 3-0.
The first half ended goalless despite both sides creating good chances.
Katey Turner came on at half-time and she opened the scoring when she volleyed in Rachel McLauchlan’s cross. Soon after, Hibs doubled their lead after a goalmouth scramble and Turner found the back of the net.
Then, Lia Tweedie, who has starred in Hibs’ pre-season, made it 3-0 after beating Spartans’ keeper Rachel Harrison after being found by Cailin Michie.
SBS SWPL 2
St Johnstone 1-3 Central Girls
Central 3-1 St Johnstone
f/t Kim2, Abby. pic.twitter.com/btELePShTg— Central Girls FA (@CentralGirlsFA) February 11, 2018
Arguably the result of the day, newly-promoted Central Girls began life in the SBS SWPL 2 with a 3-1 win over St Johnstone.
All of Central’s goals came in the first half with Kim McAlpine getting a brace.
St Johnstone did manage to pull a goal back in the 65th minute as Rachel Wolecki scored her first goal for the club.
But, it would be Central who would start their debut season with an impressive win.
Glasgow Girls 1-4 Aberdeen
#AFCL delighted with a hard fought win to make us the early #SBSSWPL2 leaders. Great effort from the players against a tough opponent. We all would like to wish well to @GlasgowGirlsFC player stretchered off today, all the best to @GlasgowGirlsFC until we meet again!
— Aberdeen FC Ladies (@aberdeenfcl) February 11, 2018
The first game of the SBS SWPL season saw Aberdeen return from Glasgow with all three points after winning 4-1.
It was Glasgow Girls who took the lead in the fourth minute with Kirsty MacDonald scoring the opener. But, in first-half stoppage time, Aberdeen equalised through Jo Fraser.
In the 69th minute, Glasgow Girls were reduced to ten players as Charmaine McGuire was shown her second yellow card.
Then, Aberdeen took the lead with Lynn Duncan marking her debut with a goal that put them 2-1 up. Chloe Fitzpatrick then made it 3-1 before Samantha McPherson scored the fourth in second-half stoppage time.
EUHV 1-1 Hearts
Four shots from @EUHVFootball 1-1 @heartswomenfc yesterday in the #SWPL2 at @PM_Pitches. @ScotWFootball @SWPL pic.twitter.com/Ep1xvJL5kB
— Craig Doyle (@cdsportsmedia) February 12, 2018
Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale (EUHV) and Hearts began their 2018 SBS SWPL 2 season with an entertaining 1-1 draw in a game that saw a penalty awarded and both sides having a goal disallowed. The game was exciting enough to warm up the spectators, despite of the freezing temperatures.
It was the home side that had dominated the early exchanges and they thought that they had taken the lead through debutant Yasemin Emek, but the officials ruled it out for offside.
Two minutes later, it was Hearts who took the lead through a penalty that was calmly converted by Danielle Pagliarulo into the bottom-left corner.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, Hearts had a goal ruled out for a foul on the EUHV keeper, Charlotte Parker-Smith.
Although Hearts started the second half strongly, EUHV equalised just after the hour mark through Anna Hume.
Neither side could find the winner in the remaining stages and had to settle for a well-earned point.
Kilmarnock 1-2 Motherwell
? | Watch the highlights as the team run out 2-1 winners in their first game of the @SWPL 2 season against @FCKilmarnockLFC.https://t.co/LFZbk8Psmu pic.twitter.com/nZWXlt6fmi
— Motherwell LFC (@MotherwellLFC) February 12, 2018
Motherwell needed a late free-kick from Hayley Cunningham to begin their season with a 2-1 win over newly-promoted Kilmarnock in what was an entertaining game.
Motherwell took the lead when a free-kick was headed in by a Kilmarnock defender, and they had a goal ruled out for offside soon after.
In the second half, Kilmarnock pulled a goal back through a Sara Paterson free-kick.
But late on, a Hayley Cunningham free-kick found the back of the net to secure all three points.
