In the early stages of the match, it was the home side who were enjoying the best of the play. Saints appeared to be playing with a relaxed and free-flowing style of football, always looking to go forward. Steffi Simson and Ellie May Cowie were close to getting on to through balls but were snuffed out by Gartcairn goalkeeper Jasmine McPhie.

It was the former who thought she had opened the scoring after nine minutes, but referee Abbie Hendry adjudged Simson had used too much force in holding off a defender. It would only be another three minutes before she did have the side in front. Played through, her low shot came off defender Kayleigh Mitchell and the touch diverted the ball past McPhie in the Gartcairn goal. Megan Wands, the Airdrie side’s top goalscorer had a speculative effort from distance, but one which had Saints stopper Ellie Mitchell diving to her right, but the shot went wide.

With twenty minutes gone, Saints got their second. Back in the side after serving a three match ban, Ellie-May Cowie kept herself composed to cooly slot the ball home with her right foot.

Gartcairn were out for the second half well in advance of both Saints and the officials, There was certainly a more dogged determination from them and they were enjoying a spell of pressure in the Saints half. The Saints defence having to deal with three corners in very quick succession.

It was from a corner Saints had their first chance of the half, Rebecca Robertson heading wide. On the hour mark it was three. Substitute Eilidh Begg crossed in from the right and Steffi Simson’s shot seemed to come off the goalkeeper, loop up, hitting the cross bar before she knocked in the rebound.

Ten minutes after that and it was Ellie-May Cowie back on the scoresheet with a very similar goal to her first. A ball cut open the Gartcairn defence before she took it round defender and goalkeeper before slotting home.

With ten minutes of the match left, Gartcairn got a goal back. Jenny Dougall picked up on a slack backpass from midfield and was able to fire past Mitchell. The last ten minutes were frantic. Saints, having made a quadruple substitution were adjusting to that whilst ensuring Gartcairn didn’t score a second. A last-ditch tackle from Megan Burns, which saw strong penalty shouts, denied what would have been a certain goal.

 

Gartcairn did have the ball in the net again, but this time it was their turn to have a goal chalked off for a foul – on the goalkeeper this time. Saints went close with Eilidh Begg forcing McKie into a save, but that was the last of the action and it finished 4-1 Saints.