MANAGER’S NOTES BRIAN GRAHAM
I want to begin today by welcoming Gary Doctor and everyone at Hamilton Accies to Petershill Park for this afternoon’s game. Everyone’s really looking forward to getting back out there again after last week’s win and it’s another really big game this weekend. The league is still very tight outside the top three at the moment so we know these games against the teams around us are going to be vitally important. We’ve managed to get some points on the board early but we have to keep adding to that. Beating Hibs was a huge result for us on the back end of a really challenging couple of weeks. Playing four games in 11 days is a huge ask in any circumstance never mind when the games are against the four best teams in the country so the team deserve a lot of credit for putting on a performance like they did in the last of those games. We’ve been asking them to show bravery on the ball and to try to be creative when we have possession and they did that against Hibs. The goal that Rebecca McGowan scores exemplifies that and that’s how we want our team to play. Defensively we were solid when we needed to be. They got it back to 3-2 quickly after our third but the girls regrouped brilliantly and were very professional with the way they saw the game out. We were committed, determined and clever in our defending and those characteristics are going to be key for us going forward. We now have to look to carry the confidence from last Sunday’s win into today’s game as we face Hamilton. It’s another chance for us to pick up points but they’ll be looking at it the same way. From our perspective, it’s very important we don’t drop our levels. We’ve got three league games coming up against teams around about us and we want to try to build some momentum off the back of the victory last week. There’s no point going and getting a huge result against Hibs if we then drop off and go back to losing games. We want to capitalise on the positive feeling we’ve got at the moment. Enjoy the game,
2018 REMEMBERED
We are all enjoying our first taste of SWPL1 football but is easy to forget that just three years ago Partick Thistle WFC were still
playing their football in the Scottish Women’s Championship South. Indeed, this afternoon’s match with Hamilton Accies is close to the third anniversary of our promotion to SWPL2.
It was a race between Thistle and Queen’s Park to claim the promotion place that was up for grabs, and it was our Glasgow neighbours that became the favourites to make that step up when they defeated Thistle 2-0 with the end of the season in sight. Incidentally the scorer of the second Queen’s Park goal that afternoon was a certain Cara McBrearty. Anyone know what happened to her? Not only was that defeat to Queen’s Park, Thistle’s last defeat of the season but that McBrearty goal was the last goal that Thistle would concede. Defeat against Queen’s Park was followed by a 2-0 win over Boroughmuir Thistle and a 5-0 win over the Rangers Development team meaning that a win against Blackburn United on Sunday October 21st 2018. Would clinch promotion. Anything less than a Thistle win, and the door would be opened for Queen’s to claim that promotion place. Loren Christie eased any Thistle nerves with a goal after 8 minutes with Mhairi Hawksworth doubling that lead 8 minutes later, and that was how the score stood at half-time. Christie added her second goal just after the hour mark and the celebrations could begin in earnest when Deborah McLeod made it 4-0 with 8 minutes remaining. There was still time for Loren Christie to not just complete a memorable hat-trick but to notch a fourth goal for herself and a sixth for Thistle. The Partick Thistle Women’s FC journey was taking us into the SWPL where it continues today. Team: Andrews, Gillan, Addie, Richardson (Campbell), Boyce (Bisland), McGlashan, MacTaggart (Lawton), Hawksworth (O’Keane), Hughes, Christie, Mallon (McLeod)
The only survivor from that squad still part of the Thistle set-up now is central defender Taylor McGlashan, and she remembers the season well and sees similarities between the situation then and one that Thistle find themselves in now; “The similarity between the leagues are uncanny, both leagues involved us being underdogs yet seen us promoted to the league above. Behind the scenes, credit has to be given to the Partick Thistle board. There has been continuous investment and engagement between the leagues. We were promoted by default and underestimated. Our team spirit ad determination has shown through the years. As a club we have been underestimated but as a team we have always exceeded expectations.” 2018 Results – The Route to Promotion
18.02.2018 25.03.2018 08.04.2018 15.04.2018 06.05.2018 13.05.2018 20.05.2018 03.06.2018 05.06.2018 10.06.2018 24.06.2018 05.08.2018 19.08.2018 26.08.2018 29.08.2018 09.09.2018 16.09.2018 23.09.2018 30.09.2018 14.10.2018 16.10.2018 21.10.2018
Away Morton Home Cumbernauld Colts Away Westerlands Home Falkirk Away Celtic Academy Home Queen’s Park Away Hibs Under 23s Away Rangers Development Home Renfrew Home Boroughmuir Thistle Away Blackburn United Home Morton Away Renfrew Home Hibs Under 23s Away Cumbernauld Colts Home Westerlands Away Falkirk Home Celtic Academy Away Queen’s Park Away Boroughmuir Thistle Home Rangers Development Home Blackburn United
W 4-1 L 1-2 W 3-1 W 2-1 W 4-0 D 2-2 L 1-2 W 3-2 D 0-0 W 3-2 W 15-0 W 7-1 D 1-1 D 0-0 W 3-0 W 2-1 W 4-3 W 3-1 L 0-2 W 2-0 W 5-0 W 6-0
PLAYER Amy Bulloch
2021/22 STATS APPS
GOALS
4(2)
2
Summer Christie
(2)
Emma Craig
3
Danica Dalziel
2(3)
Clare Docherty
4(1)
Demi Falconer
9
Colette Fleming
3(1)
Jade Gallon
3
Lauren Grant
2
Jade Greenshields
1(1)
1
Freya MacDonald
8(1)
1
Cara McBrearty
7(1)
2
Teigan McCann
8
3
Cheryl McCulloch
6
Taylor McGlashan
3(2)
Rebecca McGowan
6
Lauren McGregor
5(1)
Kim Murphy
5
Eva Payne
(2)
Sophie Payne
1(1)
London Pollard
5
2
Cheryl Rigden
6(2)
1
Rosie Slater
5(2)
Eleanor Smith
1(6)
Ellie Vernal
2(1)
1
DANICA DALZIEL PLAYER INFO
PLAYER INTERVIEW
Name: Danica Dalziel Date of Birth: 23/04/1989 Position: Defender / Goalkeeper Joined Thistle: 26th August 2021 Previous Club(s): Motherwell, Rangers, Spartans, Glasgow City, Celtic, Hibs and Kilmarnock International Honours: 10 caps for Scotland Under 19s Thistle Debut: v Hearts, August 29th, 2021, SWPL Cup Thistle Appearances and Goals: Apps 2(3) Goals 0
I think as well travelling the world for Scotland squads and with Glasgow City. There is so many opportunities now for young girls to become footballers. The game has changed massively and will only keep getting better and better. I am excited to see what women’s football will bring for the youth coming through and for them to make their own highlights and memories. As one of the more experienced members of the squad, how can you help the younger up and coming members of the squad? Hopefully I can help them develop and build confidence in their ability. We have some great youngsters in the squad. This league is very competitive so for us to come up as unexpectedly as we did, the girls have already shown their strength and togetherness to do what we have so far and that’s proven in the result against Hibs on Sunday.
Before coming in at the start of the season, you had been out the game for a few years, what made you want to come back and what made the challenge at Thistle so exciting and one you wanted to be part of?
Communication on the park is a massive part missing from the women’s game so if I can help some of the younger girls grow that now, hopefully that will help them in the future.
I felt I still had some more to give. Before I had finished up playing a few years ago, football was taking a back seat due to work and life commitments.
You’ve recently been called upon to go in goals due to injuries. How have you found it? Even though you’ve played your career outfield, it is a role you’ve had experience with before.
My mum was always my biggest supporter and she always wanted me to get back into playing. I was helping family get through my mum’s illness, so I was never able to focus solely on getting back to football. She passed in 2019 and then in 2020 we had lockdown which was a hard time for everyone.
I’ve found it surprisingly good. I came in to the club with the attitude that I will help as much as I can no matter how that is. I am trying to get back fit as an outfield player and the condition I am in physically is still way off where I should be at the moment, so being able to help the team while we are carrying some injury issues wasn’t a problem for me and while filling in goals I can still work on my fitness. I had a small stint in goals for Glasgow City a few years back, something I thought was staying in the past!
I always had this voice in the back of my head, my mum saying “Well why not? Go for it!” so here we are now. I had couple teams wanting to use my experience and wanted me to come in get fit and help out. Mary convinced me to come to training and the attraction with Thistle was the family nature of the club. The first night everyone was so welcoming, hard working and it’s so refreshing to be a part of. Brian’s given me a big chance and I thank him for that. I think Thistle as a club want to grow and build. It really attracted me to the club and I want to be able to use my experience to support that. You’ve had a successful and impressive career, what have been your highlights? I’m lucky enough to have a number of great highlights so far in my career One that sticks out was the time at Glasgow City when we made history by getting to last 16 of Champions league, we won 3-0 against Valur W in Iceland. The Scottish cup final in 2012, Glasgow City v Forfar; I played terrible that game but I scored the only goal which was a header (unusual for me) for us to win the Scottish cup
There is a real togetherness and team spirit within the squad, what makes that the case, and why is it so important? This is one thing I would like to say, since the first night I came to training, I just knew there was something about this squad and that is what made me sign that night. I thank the girls for that, the attitudes they have to compete, work hard in training and learn from the coaching staff is so good to see. Team togetherness is so important, when you have a team that has induvial players that can sometime offset the balance and structure of the squad, so when you have a team that wants to work hard and compete for each other and win for each other that is what will make a team succeed and be successful. That’s what we have here so we only hope to keep building and growing on that mentality. We know that other clubs are more developed and few steps ahead however the foundations are there to grow and these girls have been the starting point of a bright history for this club. I know we came into the league by default but we deserve to be here and we’ll keep battling on each week together to make sure we to stay in this league and show we belong here.
PLAYER SPONSORS 1. Lauren McGregor 2, Rosie Slater
Pauline and Elaine Dr Wilma Hogg
Dr Wilma Hogg
Dr Wilma Hogg
3. Kim Murphy 4. Cheryl McCulloch 5. Demi Falconer
Morag & Graham Elrick
Catriona Tucker
CL Flooring
6. Colette Fleming
Dunmuir Coachworks
7. Teigan McCann
True Potential Wealth
8. Clare Docherty
Ivy, Etta & Amos
Donald DIngwall PTFC Nomads
JM Mobile Valeting
9. Taylor McGlashan 10. Emma Craig
Gordon McClure
11. Cara McBrearty
The Mayes Family
13. Ellie Vernal
W Munro (Rehab) Ltd
14. Sophie Gallacher 15. Jade Gallon 16. Rebecca McGowan
Allied Interiors
17. Sophie Payne 18. Danica Dalziel
Teng Tools UK
19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya MacDonald 21. Lauren Grant 22. Eleanor Smith 23. London Pollard 24. Amy Bulloch 25. Summer Christie 26. Eva Payne 27. Jade Greenshields
41 Sports Media Cobie O’Neil
Cobie O’Neil
Dogs Without Border Scotland
Greenhill Tyres & Exhaust
Cobie O’Neil
OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU
A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE TOM HOSIE
Nobody likes to lose football matches. In particular, nobody likes to lose football matches by a big score line. We knew that this season would present us with some real challenges, and we knew that there was quite a gap between the full-time professional sides, that will unquestionably occupy the top three positions come the season’s end, and the rest of SWPL1 but knowing that and actually experiencing it first hard are two entirely different things. It was, of course, in part a result of us having unfortunately to request a postponement of our opening SWPL1 fixture against Rangers due to Covid-19 that we ended up playing each of those top three inside six, gruelling days. Even in defeat we could take a great deal of pride in how we performed against Glasgow City. After London Pollard’s first goal in Thistle colours gave us a lead it took a cruel deflection and a contentious penalty award to help Glasgow City to a 3-1 win. We were, however, unable to be as competitive against both Celtic and Rangers. It didn’t help any that loan players were naturally unavailable to play against their parent clubs and that a long injury list restricted Brian Graham’s ability to freshen his side up from game to game. Absolutely no criticism is meant when I say that in the end the quality and fitness of our opponents proved too much for our squad. What those three games showed was that against the very best we can be competitive when the games come in isolation to each other but in rapid succession at this stage of our development in just too demanding. What our next match against Hibernian showed was the incredible resilience and phenomenal team spirit that exists within this group of players. We went into last week’s game sitting bottom of the league having lost heavily in our two previous matches. The belief within the Thistle squad was undiminished by the results against Celtic and Rangers but others may have expected little from Thistle last Sunday. If they thought the game was over when Hibs took the lead, then they had seriously underestimated this squad. That is a mistake that few are likely to make again. And with that comes a different type of challenge. Catapulted into the SWPL1 at the last minute many may have thought that we would be here purely to make up the numbers and be mere cannon fodder for the rest. What last week’s result, and our win over Motherwell in our previous home game, has shown is the fallacy of that belief. As a result we may well go into this afternoon’s game with Hamilton as marginal favourites. There is certainly an elevated sense of expectation and there is a different type of pressure in trying to match expectation than there is in trying to exceed a low expectation. So far, this squad has faced every challenge thrown at them with determination and hard work. There is no reason to think today will be any different.
MATCH REPORT
PARTICK THISTLE 3 V 2 HIBERNIAN
An incredibly tough run of fixtures for Thistle came to an end with a visit of Hibernian to Petershill. Thistle saved their best for last in that gruelling schedule and once the dust had settled on a five-goal thriller had finished Thistle had collected their second win of the SWPL1 season. Thistle started this game on the front foot and were the first of the two sides to test the opposing goalkeeper. Pollard’s effort from outside of the box though required no more than a routine save from Mutch. Thistle continued with that positive approach and a McBrearty free kick only needed a friendly touch from Pollard to nudge Thistle into an early lead. Hibs though began to assert themselves and were close to opening the scoring after 12 minutes. Firstly Dalziel stuck out a foot to deny Coyle before the same player shot over the bar from the edge of the box. After 18 minutes though Hibs did have the lead when a Boyle free kick found Hunter who was able to direct her shot beyond into the net. The Thistle response to the loss of that goal was a positive one. A Bulloch corner had the Hibs defence under pressure, but no Thistle player was able to force the ball home. Hibs though remained a threat themselves but Dalziel, looking anything but an outfield player playing in goal, twice made important saves to prevent Hibs from securing the comfort of a two-goal lead. The first half had been entertaining but the second 45 minutes were truly outstanding and inside 10 minutes of the restart Thistle were level. McCann was adjudged to have been fouled just inside the Hibs box and Bulloch confidently sent the penalty high to the keeper’s left to tie the scores. Twelve minutes later and Thistle were in front with a quite magnificent goal. It started and finished with McGowan who collected the ball in midfield, powered downfield, exchanged passes with Pollard before confidently finding the back of the net. The game had scarcely had time to settle down when Thistle had a third goal with Bulloch again the scorer her first time effort from outside the box squirmed through the arms of Mutch. A crazy spell of goalscoring though wasn’t over and just a minute after Bulloch’s goal had put Thistle two ahead that lead was halved when CCavanagh was able to head home. There was no little amount of Hibs pressure to endure before Thistle could celebrate a win. Demi Falconer had to clear from close to the Thistle goal line when it looked as if a Cavanagh shot might squeeze in at the corner and MacDonald also headed a Cavanagh effort off the line with 7 minutes remaining. Thistle could have eased the tension in injury time when Eleanor Smith had a chance to seal the win After being set up by some outstanding link up play from Pollard Smith couldn’t get enough on her shot to beat Mutch. Team: Dalziel, Slater, Falconer, McCann (Rigden), Docherty, McGlashan, McBrearty (Smith), McGowan, MacDonald, Pollard, Bulloch subs unused Murphy, S Payne, Christie, E Payne, Greenshields.
OUR VISITORS HAMILTON ACCIES
When Hamilton were unable to overturn an early deficit when they entertained St Johnstone at New Douglas Park on June 13th last season a return to SWPL1, which Accies had vacated at the end of 2018, seemed a long way away. That though was merely a prelude to a run of four wins from the five remaining fixtures, including impressive wins against run away Champions Aberdeen, Dundee United and, not to forget, ourselves meant that the 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock in the final game of the season meant it was Gary Doctor’s side that grabbed the second available promotion slow and a return to SWPL1. After a SWPL Cup campaign that saw Accies defeat former SWPL2 contemporaries Glasgow Women, draw with Spartans and lose to Glasgow City, Hamilton began their SWPL1 season in the best of fashions. The opening round of fixtures sent them through to Edinburgh to face Hearts. When Hearts opened the scoring with less than 20 minutes remaining it looked as if their return to the topflight might end in defeat but Accies, and Hannah Scott in particular, had other ideas. Scott, now in her second spell as an Accies player following a spell with Hibs, came off the bench just prior to Hearts opening the scoring but was the player entrusted to take the penalty that levelled the scores with 12 minutes remaining. With the game in injury time Hamilton were awarded another penalty with Scott once again handed the ball and a chance to win the game. This time her penalty was saved but she was the first to react to the loose the ball and tuck home the winner. Since then, Hamilton have found points a little harder to come by, but much like ourselves they have had a demanding schedule of matches and have faced each of the ‘big three’ and have recorded results against that opposition that all but mirror our own. Like ourselves, Accies took the lead against Glasgow City when Scotland under 17 and under 19 cap Kirstie McIntosh scored direct from a corner before they finally succumbed to the tune of 3-1. That result came after they had been floored by the Rangers juggernaut and last week, they became the latest, and almost certainly not the last, side to be brushed aside by the impressive looking Celtic side While those results were certainly disappointing, they were perhaps not unexpected and certainly no reason to become demoralised. Of much greater disappointment and more worrying would have been the 3-0 reverse they suffered when they faced Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell. It’s that result probably more than any other that currently sees them prop up the league table but as Thistle are clear evidence of, that can change with just one good result. An intriguing, and keenly contested match is in prospect this afternoon.
OUR VISITORS HAMILTON ACCIES
RESULTS Date 08.08.21 15.08.21 29.08.21 05.09.21 12.09.21 14.09.21 26.09.21 03.10.21 10.10.21
Comp SWPL Cup SWPL Cup SWPL Cup SWPL1 SWPL1 SWPL1 SWPL1 SWPL1 SWPL1
Opposition A v Spartans H v Glasgow Women H v Glasgow City A v Hearts H v Rangers A v Aberdeen H v Glasgow City A v Motherwell H v Celtic
TOP SCORERS Player Goals Josephine Giard 2 Megan Quigley 2 Hannah Scott 2 Kirstie McIntosh 1 Rachel Ross 1
Score D 2-2 W 3-0 L 0-6 W 2-1 L 0-7 L 0-1 L 1-3 L 0-3 L 0-6
PAST MEETINGS VS HAMILTON
While during the course of the current season Thistle have, or will be, facing a number of sides for the very first time that is not the case with the visitors to Petershill Park this afternoon, Hamilton Accies. Today’s meeting will be the sixth time the two teams will have crossed swords with Hamilton holding the upper hand in the previous five encounters, most notably last season when the two SWPL2 Hamilton wins went along way to helping them secure second place and, at the time, final promotion place ahead of Thistle. For the very first meeting between the two sides though we need to turn the clock back to February 2019 and a SWPL2 meeting between the teams here at Petershill Park. Thistle had the previous season been promoted from the Scottish Women’s Championship South while Accies had been relegated from SWPL1. Thistle had drawn 0-0 their inaugural SWPL fixture with Glasgow Women the previous week while Hamilton went down to a 2-1 defeat at home to Hearts. Dionne Brown opened the scoring for Hamilton after just two minutes but a Mhairi Hawksworth equaliser, Thistle very first SWPL goal, four minutes after the restart was enough to score a point for Thistle. Thistle: Andrews, Addie, Ross, Lawton, Christie, Hawksworth (MacTaggart), McLeod (Murray), Hughes, Rigden (Hannah), Paterson (Bisland), Mallon Hamilton: Grant, Anderson, Brown, Bulloch, Connolly, Fitzsimmons, Fraser, Kane (Cairns), McIntosh, Ross (Sloey), Sturrock. In Lauren Grant and Amy Bulloch there are a couple of familiar faces in the Hamilton line-up that afternoon. The next meeting between the two sides took place at New Douglas Park and two goals round the midway point of the first half, the first from Amy Anderson and the second from Kirstie McIntosh were enough to secure a 2-0 win for the home side. Hamilton: Grant, Anderson, Bulloch, Connolly, Gardiner, Lindsay (Fitzsimmons), McIntosh, McWhirter (Quigley), Muir (Kane), Quinn, Sturrock (Ross) Thistle: Robson, Ross, Addie, Ranes, Lawton, Lyle, Bisland, Hawksworth (Christie), McLeod (Rigden), Paterson (Hannah), Murray (MacTaggart) The last of the three fixtures between the teams, four months later was an altogether happier occasion for Thistle. Loren Christie opened the scoring for Thistle after just 4 minutes and a 2-0 win was secured Sophie Gallacher, sadly still on the injured list at present, doubled the Thistle lead 14 minutes later. Thistle: Andrews, Ross, Addie, Ranes, Murray, Bisland (Donnelly), McGlashan, McLeod (Lyle), Gallacher (Hawksworth), Christie, Jackson. Hamilton: Grant, Anderson, Brown, Connolly, Fitzsimmons (Kane), Fraser (McCann), Gardiner (Sturrock), McIntosh, Muir, Quigley (Bulloch), Ross Full Record v Hamilton Academical P W D L F A 5 1 1 3 6 11
TEAM LISTS PARTICK THISTLE 1. Lauren McGregor 2. Rosie Slater 3. Kim Murphy 4. Cheryl McCulloch 5. Demi Falconer 6. Colette Fleming 7. Teigan McCann 8. Clare Docherty 9. Taylor McGlashan 10. Emma Craig 11. Cara McBrearty 13. Ellie Vernal 14. Sophie Gallaher 15. Jade Gallon 16. Rebecca McGowan 17. Sophie Payne 18. Danica Dalziel 19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya Macdonald 21. Lauren Grant 22. Eleanor Smith 23. London Pollard 24. Amy Bulloch 25. Summer Christie 26. Eva Payne 27. Jade Greenshields
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL 1. Sarah Rhind 2. Rachel Ross 3. Megan Quinn 4. Hannah Coakley 5. Georgie McTear 6. Kirstie McIntosh 7. Chloe Muir 8. Megan Quigley 9. Dionne Brown 10. Nichola Sturrock 11. Ellie Kane 12. Hannah Scott 13. Lauren Evans 14. Darcy Molley 15. Lucy Siinclair 16. Fiona Cullie 17. Dani Pagliarulo 19. MT Gardiner 21. Megan Wands 23. Josi Giard 22. Tara McGonigle 26. Chloe Nicolson