A week after defeating the league’s newest side, Livingston, by the odd goal in five in the Sky Sports Cup, St Johnstone Women welcomed them back to Riverside in the ScottishPower WPL 2. However, it would be the West Lothian side who scored all five goals this time.
Both sides rung the changes after last week’s match, with Saints making four changes to the starting line up as Hannah Clark, Fern Newbigging, Jodie Ovens and Megan Paterson came in for Eilidh Begg, Eirinn McCafferty, Laura Steedman and Morgan Steedman.
The visitors had a couple good chances in the first ten minutes. Ellie Mitchell did well to tip a Beth McKay shot from the left out for a corner. It was from a corner a few minutes later a second good chance came when Courtney McAvoy headed towards goal, but saw it easily gathered by Mitchell.
At the other end, Jodie Ovens powered down the left and, under a bit of pressure, got a shot away but dragged it just wide. Jodie Malcolm nearly got a foot on a through ball to dink it past Molly Reeve in the Livingston goal, but the former Saints stopper got their first. An excellent low, powerful cross from the right by Fern Newbigging was gathered on the deck by Reeve, just as Steffi Simson slid in to poke the ball home.
Reeve started the move which saw Livingston open the scoring. Her long ball forward was played on by Ashley Elizabeth, and Anna Dickov turned a couple Saints defenders and struck a shot just inside the post. Simson nearly had Saints level after half an hour. Latching on to a through ball she struck first time but saw her effort saved by the onrushing Reeve.
Three minutes into the second half Livingston had their second. A backheel from Ashley Elizabeth from close range was well saved by Ellie Mitchell. When the corner was swung in, there was a scramble in the box, after various players swiped at the ball, Courtney McAvoy eventually turned the ball home. Their third, five minutes later, came in a very similar manner. Ellie Mitchell made another fine one-handed save for a corner, and this time it was Ashley Elizabeth who fired the ball home when the resultant corner was swung into the box.
As the half wore on Saints were struggling to test Reeve. One attack of note was when Niamh Irvine made a foray forward down the right before crossing in, but it was the hands of Reeve rather than the feet of a Saints striker which met the ball first.
With just one minute left of the ninety, a well saved Sharon Hughes-Lee shot went for a corner. When the ball was played in, Fiona Walker found herself unmarked to head home. Livingston finished the rout in injury time when a through ball out to the right was played back across to the left where Sharon Hughes-Lee found herself in space to score.
Saints are away next week when they take on Glasgow Women.
Saints: Mitchell, MacIver (Carter), Clark, Newbigging (McLean), Moodie, Brady, Simson, Paterson (L.Steedman), Macolm (Burns), Ovens (Irvine), Robertson. Subs Not Used: Cowie, Cochran,
Livingston: Reeve, Frew, McAvoy, McKay, Murphy, Burns (Evans), Ross, Elizabeth (Hughes-Lee), Dickov (Dodds), Murphy (Davie), Mulligan (Walker)
26’ Dickov, 48’ McAvoy, 52’ Elizabeth, 89’ Walker, 91’ Hughes-Lee
Match report by Stuart Cowper