The Spartans 011120

Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 The Official Matchday Programme

Sunday 1st of November 2020 Ainslie Park Stadium 2pm KO

Friends Legal are the main kit sponsor of Spartans Women FC, supplying all our kit requirements including our home strip and match day and training apparel. Friends legal are a specialist personal injury law practice. The team at Friends Legal try and make access to legal services as straightforward as possible by promoting a friendly approach.

Tony O’Malley, Managing Partner of Friends Legal, said: “At Friends Legal we strongly believe in the power of community to achieve great things so we are delighted to continue our partnership with Spartans Scottish Women’s Premier League team . It is also part of our philosophy to give something back. Spartans were able to demonstrate a clear vision for their club, along with clearly defined values that they wished to promote.”

We are extremely grateful for the continued support received from Friends Legal. For expert advice please call Friends Legal on 0141 442 0610 or visit www.friends-legal.co.uk

Home Ground

U19’s NPL Team Staff

Ainslie Park (Capacity 2,400 / 504 Seated) The Spartans Community Football Academy 94 Pilton Drive, Edinburgh EH5 2HF Tel: 0131-552-7854 E-mail: info@spartanscfa.com

Alfie Smith Head Coach Michael Cranston Assistant Head Coach Charlene Lessells GK Coach Orsi Jakri Sports Therapist Jason Cross Team Secretary

SWPL Team Staff

Girls Academy

Debbi McCulloch Manager Scott Noble Assistant Head Coach Katie Reilly Assistant Coach Colin Osbourne GK Coach Jude Watson Team Chaplain Mel Crolla Team Chaplain Liz McMahon Club Secretary John Douglas Club Photographer James Lambert Matchday Operations Adam Smith Matchday Videography

Medical Staff Marcin Szostak Club Physiotherapist Amy Young Matchday Physiotherapist Rebecca Prow Sports Therapist

Zsolt Jakri Girls Coordinator Daniel Blyth U17’s Head Coach Aaron Hunter U15’s Head Coach

Girls & Women’s Executive Committee Anne McConaghy Chairperson Mark Brown Vice-Chairperson Debbi McCulloch General Manager Judith Shepherd G/W Development Officer Jason Cross Member Ronnie Hamilton Member

Club Information Website: www.spartansfcwomen.com Twitter: @spartansfcwomen Facebook: @spartansfcwomen Instagram: spartans_womens_fc

’ Today we welcome Malky, Kevin and their players to Ainslie Park. Rangers are no strangers to Spartans as they visited The Academy a few weeks ago as part of our pre-season programme. On that occasion Rangers came away 3-1 winners and potentially could of scored more however we took away plenty of positives from our performance and will look to utilise them this afternoon against Rangers weaknesses.

Our first SWPL 1 match of the new season saw us take on Hibernian Women with us eventually losing 2-1.

I really believe (and still do!) that we were unfortunate not to take something from the game. Hibs will no doubt think otherwise however if we hadn't of switched off at two set pieces I think they would of struggled to of scored from open play. The players worked so hard off the ball and even though we lacked composure in possession we still looked dangerous going forward, especially at the beginning of the second half. We have spent a fair bit of time over the past two weeks analysing our performance and working on set pieces, for and against. There is no doubt in my mind that we can develop into a team where set pieces can become a weapon for us and that we can learn from our previous mistakes.

On the player front we have everyone available apart from Elena who is still waiting on her ACL reconstruction operation. Katie Frew continues to make great progress from her knee injury on the training pitch and if all goes to plan, it won’t be long before she is back tearing up the wings in the SWPL. Finally, congratulations to our trusted captain Alana Marshall on becoming the fourth player in Spartans history to achieve 150 club appearances. Alana joined the club back in 2012 and has played an important part in our journey on and off the pitch. From all of us, thank you Alana for your loyalty, commitment and hard work over the past 8 years. It is much appreciated by us all, especially myself.

As ever, thank you for your continued support and even though you can’t be with us, we appreciate everyone being right behind us. We hope to welcome you back to Ainslie Park soon! #DBDF

Debbi McCulloch

Over the summer our stadium pitch was upgraded. We now have a brand new FieldTurf FIFA Quality Pro Vertex Core 45-13 surface. We’re super proud of our facility and continually strive to offer the highest quality experiences for all our users. The new Stadium pitch surface in combination with recent year's upgrades to the Community Pitch surface and new floodlighting marks significant investment in our facility and in our future. A big thank you to the Resilient Scotland Jessica Trust for helping us to upgrade the Stadium Pitch this year.

Over the past 6 months the Community Coaching team have worked incredibly hard to ensure that The Academy has been able to continue to deliver our popular football coaching classes. It’s been a challenging time for everyone - players, parents, guardians, coaches and volunteers. We’d like to say a big thank you to you all for your help in keeping each other safe.

Youth work clubs are now up and running again! All of our clubs have a mix of fun activities and a hot meal/ snacks and are free of charge. We’ve had some great fun recently including a trip to Bridge8 Hub for some mountain biking, camping skills and canoeing. If you would like to join in or find out more about any of our clubs please email Kenny or Lewis who will be able to help or give us a call on 0131 552 7854.

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The Forth Wedding Car Company

Thanks also to The Mawson Family, Brian McMonagle, Kirsty McLaughlin, Ashley Nicolson, Holly & Anna-Grace Gordon & Grant Cunningham.

Challenge Cup | Blair bags brace as Spartans progress Blair Atkinson bagged a brace as Spartans secured a Soccer Shop Direct sponsored Challenge Cup second round tie against East Stirlingshire with a 4-0 win over East of Scotland side Kinnoull.

New signing Jamie Walker went straight into Dougie Samuel’s squad for the Friday night clash and the former Raith Rovers player was included on the bench whilst Ian McFarland continued to sit out due to injury.

Spartans got off to the ideal start after just four minutes when they took the lead through Sam Jones. The former Penicuik man grabbing his first goal for the club following a long ball from Archie Meekison was inadvertently headed into his path by a Kinnoull defender, setting up Jones who let fly to drill low across the goalie into the bottom corner.

The narrow lead can be a precarious one and it took a fine save from Blair Carswell to turn a Robertson strike round the post for a corner, as the Perth men made a rare attack in search for an equalizer.

With the clock hitting forty-five minutes, Kinnoull had a corner, which was met by the clearing head of Adam Corbett then collected by Scott Maxwell who passed to Blair Atkinson deep inside his own half. The striker put his head down, raced up the touchline before cutting back inside his defender and unleashed an unstoppable strike low into the corner of the net. An early contender for goal of the season.

HT: Spartans 2-0 Kinnoull FC An early effort may well have gone to VAR in one of the big games when Sam Jones shot went to the back post, Archie Meekison looked to have been fouled as he headed away with the net inches away, only for the ball to come back to Jones who saw his shot punched away by the Osinski who appeared to be behind his line whilst doing so.

Spartans were denied a ‘stonewaller’ in the 55th minute when a corner missed most folk in the crowded box and Sam Jones saw his effort clearly hit the Kinnoull defender who was standing guard on the post.

Bizarrely, a goal kick was the eventual outcome.

Cometh the hour and it was Blair Atkinson’s second as he reacted quickest to a bit of a ricochet in the box and he drove home from 10 yards to put the game out of the reach of the visitors.

Patience finally paid off for playmaker Archie Meekison with ten minutes left on the clock. Caddow and Woods combined down the wing, the latter sending ball into the danger area where McCrory-Irving and Paul Anderson collided and Meekison was on hand to pick up the scraps and grab a deserved goal.

FT: Spartans 4-0 Kinnoull FC Line-up: Carswell, Bolochoweckyj (Russell 66), Caddow, Corbett, Baur (McCrory-Irving 53), Woods, Meekison, Grant (Watson 75), Maxwell, Jones, Atkinson (Tait 66). Subs (Unused) Murrell, Allan

Position

Team

Played

Won

Draw

Lose

GD

Points

1

Rangers F.C.

1

1

0

0

+5

3

2

Forfar Farmington F.C.

1

1

0

0

+2

3

3

Glasgow City F.C.

1

1

0

0

+2

3

4

Hibernian Women

1

1

0

0

+2

3

5

Spartans F.C.

1

0

0

1

-1

0

6

Motherwell F.C.

1

0

0

1

-2

0

7

Celtic Women

1

0

0

1

-2

0

8

Hearts Women F.C.

1

0

0

1

-5

0

Played

Won

Draw

Lose

GD

Points

Position

Team

1

Aberdeen F.C Women

2

2

0

0

+10

6

2

Hamilton Academical

2

2

0

0

+3

6

3

Partick Thistle FC

2

1

1

0

+3

4

4

Glasgow Women FC

2

1

0

1

+2

3

5

St Johnstone WFC

1

1

0

0

+1

3

6

Queens Park

2

1

0

1

-1

3

7

Dundee United WFC

2

0

1

1

-1

1

8

Kilmarnock FWC

1

0

0

1

-1

0

9

Stirling University WFC

2

0

0

2

-5

0

10

Boroughmuir Thistle

2

0

0

2

-11

0

Photos courtesy of Craig Doyle Media

1. Alicia YATES (GK)

1. Jenna FIFE (GK)

2. Shannon TODD 3. Sarah CLELLAND

2. Nicola DOCHERTY 3. Daina BOURMA

4. Simone MCMAHON 5. Dion MCMAHON

4. Emma BROWNLIE 5. Demi VANCE

6. Bobbie BEVERIDGE 7. Michaela MCALONIE 8. Katie FREW 9. Ronaigh DOUGLAS

6. Sonia O’NEIL 7. Brogan HAY 8. Kirsten REILLY 9. Zoe NESS 10. Bala DEVI 11. Megan BELL 14. Carly GIRASOLI 15. Lizzie ARNOTT 16. Rosie MCQUILLAN

10. Beth MCKAY 11. Alana MARSHALL © 12. Holly AITCHISON 13. Rachel HARRISON (GK) 14. Tegan REYNOLDS 15. Caley Gibb 16. Robyn MCCAFFERTY 18. Rebecca GAILBRAITH 19. Julia MOULTON 20. Elena SANTOYO-BROWN 22. Christie KERR

17. Clare GEMMELL © 18. Chelsea CORNETT 19. Laura MCCARTNEY 20. Hannah CUNNINGHAM 23. Freya MACDONALD 25. Megan CUNNINGHAM (GK)

www.spartansfcwomen.com