Two first half goals were enough for Glasgow Women to see off St Johnstone at the Alliance Park in Motherwell on Sunday and take victory
There were four changes to the side which lost to Livingston last Sunday, with Eilidh Begg, Laura Steedman, Niamh Irvine and Nicole Carter coming into the starting eleven.
Glasgow Women opened the scoring after just eight minutes. With Saints temporarily down to ten as Rebecca Robertson received treatment for a facial injury, the home side made their advantage count.
The ball fell to Monica Smith who, under no real pressure, from the edge of the box fired a low strike into the bottom left corner. Smith had an opportunity to score again five minutes later but this time dragged a shot wide. Brooke Shields also went close after twenty five minutes. The ball ricocheted around the box and there was relief in the Saints defence when Shields skied an effort over the bar from close range.
At the other end, Alix Moodie saw a free kick easily gathered, Rebecca Robertson headed just wide from a corner, and Niamh Irvine had a strike from distance which also went wide. Nicole Carter thought she had Saints level when her corner curled straight into the net. The joy was short lived when referee Chris McLaughlin ruled it out for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Glasgow doubled their advantage as half time approached. The ball was played out to the left where Kayleigh Barghati took a touch to come inside and curled a superb strike into the far corner, which Ellie Mitchell had no chance with.
The second half saw changes as Hannah Clark and Elvie McLean came on in place of Megan Paterson and Laura Steedman. There was also a change of shape which seem to settle the side, and Saints began to enjoy more possession and exert more pressure on the Glasgow side than they had in the first half.
Despite the pressure, Khym Ramsay, never had her palms stung in making goal denying saves. At the other end, Ellie Mitchell was also having a quiet half as the match played out largely in the middle of the park.
Saints were certainly getting forward more, but often the final pass was intercepted and the move gone. This was typified when substitute Jodie Ovens made a near instant impact after coming on. From the restart a ball was played forward which Ovens chased onto, and under pressure cut inside anticipating the arrival of Steffi Simson but Ramsay was there first to smother the ball.
The last chance of real note was when Ellie May Cowie drove in down the left and shot low to see Ramsay make a save and the ball cleared to safety.
Saints remain second bottom of the ScottishPower WPL 2. Their next match is October 1st when Glasgow City visit Riverside in the Sky Sports Cup.
Saints: Mitchell, MacIver (Cowie), Carter, Newbigging (Ovens), Irvine (Simson), Moodie, Brady, Paterson (McLean), Begg, L.Steedman (Clark), Robertson
Subs: Burke, Burns, Malcolm, Cochran
Glasgow:
Ramsay, Macconnel, Simmonette, McPherson, McGarvey, Lyle, Rogers, Smith, Barghati, Duff, Shields.
Subs: Paterson, Harper, Scott, Donnelly, Main, Kinsella, Wierlinga.
Match Report by Stuart Cowper