MANAGER’S NOTES BRIAN GRAHAM
I’d like to start these programme notes today by welcoming Debbi McCulloch and everyone at Spartans to New Tinto Park today for our SWPL 1 match. It’s a bit of a change of scenery for us today for our penultimate game of the season but we’re hoping we can make it a positive end to our home games this season anyhow. We’ve drawn twice against Spartans this season in two tightly-contested games. The first one wasn’t a classic by any means and we were in the middle of our run of injuries at the time but the more recent game was a much more exciting one. We fell behind very early on in some horrendous conditions but fought back brilliantly and got in front thanks to goals from Rachel Donaldson and Linzi Taylor. Unfortunately, we conceded a penalty late on and had to settle for the draw but we were pleased with the spirit the team showed that day albeit that has never been in question. Our last game was a disappointing defeat to Hamilton at the weekend and that was a tough one to take when they scored in injury time. The girls gave everything in their semi-final last Sunday and then played on Tuesday, down to 10 players for a portion of that one, before then facing Hamilton. We managed to take the lead through a brilliant goal from Amy Bulloch and had some other good chances early on which we didn’t take, however, as the game went on I think there was a bit of tiredness and Hamilton nick it at the end. There are still two games to go though and we see them both as winnable. Neither will be easy games whatsoever but we really want to end this season on a high. Enjoy the game,
Date
2021/22 FIXTURES
Venue
Opposition
Compeition
Score
08.08.21
Home
Celtic
SWPL Cup
1-3
15.08.21
Away
St Johnstone
SWPL Cup
4-0
29.08.21
Away
Hearts
SWPL Cup
0-0
12.09.21
Home
Aberdeen
SWPL1
0-2
19.09.21
Home
Motherwell
SWPL1
3-2
30.09.21
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL1
1-3
03.10.21
Away
Celtic
SWPL1
0-6
06.10.21
Away
Rangers
SWPL1
1-7
10.10.21
Home
Hibernian
SWPL1
3-2
17.10.21
Home
Hamilton
SWPL1
2-2
31.10.21
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL Cup
0-5
03.11.21
Away
Spartans
SWPL1
0-0
07.11.21
Home
Hearts
SWPL1
2-3
21.11.21
Home
Rangers
SWPL1
0-1
12.12.21
Home
Glasgow City
SWPL1
0-2
09.01.22
Home
Motherwell
Scot Cuo
2-2 (PT win 4-2 on pens)
16.01.22
Away
Motherwell
SWPL1
2-2
23.01.22
Home
Celtic
SWPL1
0-7
06.02.22
Away
Hamilton
SWPL1
1-0
13.02.22
Home
Boroughmuir Thistle
Scot Cup
2-1 (AET)
20.02.22
Home
Spartans
SWPL1
2-2
27.02.22
Away
Hearts
SWPL1
4-2
06.03.22
Away
Rangers
SWPL1
1-6
13.03.22
Home
Aberdeen
SWPL1
1-2
20.03.22
Away
Glasgow City
SWPL1
0-2
23.03.22
Away
Hibernian
SWPL1
0-1
27.03.22
Away
Motherwell
SWPL1
3-3
01.04.22
Home
Hibernian
Scot Cup
4-2
17.04.22
Home
Celtic
SWPL1
0-2
24.04.22
Home
Hibernian
SWPL1
0-2
01.05.22
Neautral
Glasgow City
Scot CUp
1-3
03..05.22
Away
Aberdeen
SWPL1
2-4
08.05.22
Home
Hamilton
SWPL1
1-2
11.05.22
Home
Spartans
SWPL1
15.05.22
Away
Hearts
SWPL1
PLAYER
2021/22 STATS APPS
GOALS
Morgan Anderson
(3)
Dionne Brown
(9)
Amy Bulloch
19(7)
Summer Christie
2(4)
Emma Craig
3(2)
Danica Dalziel
7(4)
1
Clare Docherty
25(3)
5
Rachel Donaldson
14
2
Demi Falconer
32
1
Taylor Fisher
2(8)
Colette Fleming
10(5)
Jade Gallon
3
Lauren Grant
4(1)
Jade Greenshields
2(2)
1
Taylor Hamil
8(5)
1
Freya MacDonald
21(8)
2
Cara McBrearty
28(2)
8
Teigan McCann
11(11)
5
Cheryl McCulloch
29
3
Taylor McGlashan
8(3)
Rebecca McGowan
24
Lauren McGregor
25(1)
Louise Magilton
1(3)
Kim Murphy
19(2)
Eva Payne
(3)
Sophie Payne
1(2)
London Pollard
6
2
Cheryl Rigden
9(14)
1
Rosie Slater
25(4)
Eleanor Smith
5(7)
Linzi Taylor
17
Ellie Vernal
2(1)
3
3
5
TEIGAN MCCANN PLAYER INFO
PLAYER INTERVIEW
Name: Teigan McCann Date of Birth: 12/09/2000 Position: Attacking Midfielder Joined Thistle: November 22nd 2020 Previous Club(s): Hamilton Accies Thistle Debut: v Aberdeen, SWPL2, November 22nd 2020 First Thistle Goal: v Aberdeen, SWPL2, November 22nd 2020 Thistle Appearances & Goals: Apps 14(19), Goals 6
The season has been full of highs, what has been your best moments of the season, both personally and as a team?
This season was always going to be full of highs and lows especially being promoted so late on but I think this was a massive challenge that the team took in their stride and that was apparent from our somewhat unexpected amazing cup run which I think took everyone by surprise. There were some amazing The season drawing to a close, how have you moments on that run which I think we'll all rememebr enjoyed the season as a whole? forever. I think the season as a whole has been very enjoyable and a massive learning experience for us all. Having the opportunity to play at the top level has been a massive challenge for us all but a challenge we have all taken joy from. I think we as a squad have learned a lot throughout the season which will only let us grow as players. You started the season on fire with goals, but injury halted that, how frustrating has that been when you were on such a good run?
A personal high was definitely the form I was playing at at the beginning of the season, I was playing a lot of minutes and scoring goals and that is always a highlight for a player. With two games left and things tight In the league, how much do the squad want to finish the season on a high? I think finishing on a high is important to both the players and the manager and the coaching staff, just to prove that we are capable of competing in this league.
It’s always frustrating picking up an injury but it’s always going to be worse when you’re playing well, I feel like finishing well is something that is deserved scoring and playing with confidence again. I had for all the hard work, determination and fight that this started the season in a slightly different position so team has put in over this season. was still learning that but had made such a good start that it was really frustrating when I got injured. It’ll always be a massive set back as a player
PLAYER SPONSORS 1. Lauren McGregor
Pauline and Elaine
2, Rosie Slater
Dr Wilma Hogg
Dr Wilma Hogg
3. Kim Murphy
Alex Tulloch Joiners
41 Sports Media
Morag & Graham Elrick
David & Caroline Mackie
4. Cheryl McCulloch 5. Demi Falconer
Dr Wilma Hogg Catriona Tucker
CL Flooring
6. Colette Fleming
Dunmuir Coachworks
John Donegan
7. Teigan McCann
True Potential Wealth
Randle Wilson
Donald DIngwall
8. Clare Docherty
Ivy, Etta & Amos
PTFC Nomads
JM Mobile Valeting
9. Taylor McGlashan
Drumchapel United
10. Emma Craig 11. Cara McBrearty
Gordon McClure Cairnhill Structures
The Mayes Family
Watson Towers
Abodo Contractors
Dean Robertson Joinery
Allied Interiors
The Arrandale Hotel Ayr
Alan Caldwell
Teng Tools UK
The Welsh Family
14. Louise Magilton 15. Jade Gallon 16. Rebecca McGowan 17. Linzi Taylor 18. Danica Dalziel
LA Travel
19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya MacDonald
41 Sports Media Cobie O’Neil
Cobie O’Neil
Cobie O’Neil
21. Lauren Grant
Dogs Without Border Scotland
Greenhill Tyres & Exhaust
Euan Grant
24. Amy Bulloch
Maureen Thomas
Billy & Dawn
ABI Services
Drumchapel United
Drumchapel United
Michelle Jackson
The Music Room
L’Perfection
P.L.R. Groundworks
25. Rachel Donaldson
Alan Caldwell
26. Taylor Hamill 27. Morgan Anderson 30. Taylor Fisher 32. Dionne Brown
OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU
MEMORIES OF A GREAT SEASON TOM HOSIE
With the end of the season fast approaching now seems an appropriate time to look back at the season. Not via a blow-by-blow account of each game. That sort of review can provide you with the dry statistics of a season but not the emotion of it. So then here are just a few things that, for me, stood out over the course of a long, hard but thoroughly enjoyable season. They Way the Players Have Embraced the Challenge When we played St Johnstone in the SWPL Cup although not confirmed we already knew that we were likely to be asked to replace the unfortunate Forfar Farmington in SWPL1. There were a few players that were unsure about the challenge that would present. No names are necessary, but those same players have gone on and made sizeable contributions to our season. If they had doubts back in August over their ability to play at the highest level, they’ve been well and truly removed now. That First Win We knew that we weren’t just there to make up the numbers, but others might have seen us if not a soft touch, then maybe a team they should defeat. We had to wait until just our second match the collect our first three points. We did so in thrilling fashion too. To Jade Greenshields fell the honour of scoring our first SWPL1 goal but by half-time we trailed by two goals to one. The wand that is the left foot of Cara McBrearty tied the scores early in the second half before, amid great excitement, Freya MacDonald scored a wonderful winner in the 88th minute. The joy on everyone’s faces when the final whistle sounded after what felt like a never-ending period of injury time was just wonderful to see. The Cup Win Over Hibs I tweeted at the time that our Biffa Scottish Women’s Cup win over Hibs was one of my favourite Thistle moments in 45 years of supporting The Jags. The best part of two months on from that fantastic Friday night under the Petershill Park lights I stand by every word of that overly emotional tweet. That game was a veritable emotional roller coaster but with a happy ending. The Demi Falconer Streak Given that she has missed one game since and was substituted injured on Sunday I can’t help wondering if we ultimately jinxed her but, wow, that streak of consecutive matches playing each and every minute of those games was just incredible. What started as curiously wondering just how many consecutive games Demi had played got more and more exciting the deeper we investigated. For a long time, there were just two of us that were aware that a special landmark was fast approaching. For weeks we worried that there would be a last-minute substitution or a mistimed challenge ending the streak just before it reached the 100 mark. That Demi, totally oblivious to it all, reached the 100 mark on that night against Hibs made the moment that bit more special. The People A football club is more than just the players on the pitch or the coaching and management staff standing quietly, or not so quietly in Brian Graham’s case, on the touchline. There has formed round Partick Thistle WFC this season a real community and a bond between players and staff and the fans that have provided such wonderful support home and away all season. There’s far too many people to mention by name, but thank you all for your company and see you next season.
MATCH REPORT
PARTICK THISTLE 1 v 2 HAMILTON Needing just a point from this game to ensure finishing the season no lower than 9th, there was disappointment for Thistle as the loss of a goal deep in injury time consigned Thistle to defeat against Hamilton for the first time this season. It was an unsettling afternoon for Thistle from even before ball was kicked in anger with Taylor McGlashan pulling out with injury. There was further upset for Thistle in the heart of defence with Demi Falconer coming off injured after just 18 minutes. By that point Thistle were in front. The first chance of the game had come the way of the visitors with Quigley sending a Burchill cross wide of target but in the Petershill sunshine Thistle were on the front foot early on. A Cara McBrearty corner had to be tipped over the bar and from the resultant corner it took an excellent save from Rhind in the Accies goal to keep up a Falconer header. That save delayed the game’s opening goal by a matter of mere seconds. Following Rhind’s save the ball was cleared only as far as Amy Bulloch lurking just outside the box. Bulloch, who doesn’t score tap-ins, took one touch before sending a half volley into the back of the net. Had a second Thistle goal arrived then all three points may well have remained at Petershill Park and there were opportunities to score that goal. A Rachel Donaldson cross came off the face of the Hamilton crossbar and a McBrearty effort from a Freya MacDonald cross flashed just wide of goal. For all that though the Hamilton equaliser that arrived just four minutes before half-time wasn’t entirely unexpected. Lucy Sinclair’s long range effort came off the underside of Lauren McGregor’s crossbar with Tiree Burchill on hand to knock the ball home to remove any debate as to whether Sinclair’s shot had crossed the line or not. Neither side were content to settle for a point during the second half although there was a dearth of chances at either end in the second 45 minutes. The better chances if truth be told came the way of Hamilton. A Quigley free kick was just begging for a decisive touch and substitute Muir stretching at the back post couldn’t find the touch required to force the ball home. The game looked certain to be heading for a draw when Accies snatched an injury time winner. Lauren McGregor looked to misjudge a high ball from Megan Quinn and Lindsey Blues was on hand to knock the ball home from about a foot out. Team: McGregor, Slater, Murphy, McCulloch, Falconer (MacDonald), Docherty (McCann), Fisher (Brown), McBrearty, Taylor, Bulloch (Rigden), Donaldson subs unused Grant and Anderson.
OUR VISITORS SPARTANS
Our visitors to New Tinto Park, our home for the evening, have had a mixed bag of results since we drew 2-2 with them at Petershill Park back in February. In the immediate wake of that game, Spartans embarked on an excellent run of three straight home wins without conceding a single goal. A 1-0 win over Hamilton being followed up with no doubt highly satisfying wins against Edinburgh rivals Hibernian (2-0) and Hearts (4-0). Since that win over Hearts at Ainslie Park back in mid-March however, Debbie McCulloch’s side have gone on a run of 5 games without a win with just one draw, away to Aberdeen, during that run. That run though has included matches against the new SWPL1 Champions Rangers, Glasgow City and, last Sunday, at home to Celtic. As we know only too well ourselves that is an extremely demanding run of fixtures. While there may be a degree of inconsistency to Spartans’ results this season there has been one thing that has been very consistent. The goals of Rebecca Galbraith. Galbraith, who scored twice in that 2-2 draw in February now has 19 goals to her name for the season and her total as a Spartans player in her five years at the Club since joining for Stirling University WFC now stands at 40. Only Alana Marshall with 39 and Louise Mason with 34 of the current young, exciting squad come anywhere near matching that goal tally. Following tonight’s fixture Spartans will finish their 2021-2022 season with a fixture with a much improved Hamilton Accies side at New Douglas Park on Sunday afternoon and while they can’t finish the season any higher than 6th in the league they will be hoping to collect maximum points from their two remaining matches and keep themselves ahead of Motherwell in 7th who they are currently tied on points, albeit with a significantly better goal difference. A keenly contested, entertaining game is in prospect tonight.
OUR VISITORS SPARTANS
LAST 10 MATCHES Date
Competition
Opposition
Score
08.05.2022
SWPL1
Celtic (H)
1-3
24.04.2022
SWPL1
Motherwell (H)
0-1
17.04.2022
SWPL1
Glasgow City (H)
0-4
27.03.2022
SWPL1
Aberdeen (A)
1-1
20.03.2022
SWPL1
Rangers (A)
1-2
13.03.2022
SWPL1
Hearts (H)
4-0
06.03.2022
SWPL1
Hibs (H)
2-0
27.02.2022
SWPL1
Hamilton (H)
1-0
20.02.2022
SWPL1
Partick Thistle (A)
2-2
13.02.2022
SWF Cup
Aberdeen (A)
2-4
TOP SCORERS Player
Goals
Rebecca Galbraith
19
Rosie McQuillan
5
Sarah Clelland
4
Caley Gibb
4
Anna Marshall
3
Louise Mason
3
Katherine Smart
3
THISTLE V SPARTANS THE STORY SO FAR
We go into this evening’s fixture with Spartans, the third and final meeting between tonight’s teams, with the teams having drawn the two previous meetings. The first of those two encounters took place at Ainslie Park on an early November evening when the winter chill was just starting to bite. There were no goals to warm the fans that night but the two teams served up an entertaining game despite the lack of goal action. This game marked the return to action following injury for Lauren McGregor and over the course of the 90 minutes she was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers. Her first save came as early as the 6th minute when he kept out a long range effort from Douglas and she also produced important saves from Mason as well as standing up to some late Spartans pressure from a series of late corners as they pressed for a winner. Spartans: Harrison, Mason, Clelland, McMahon, Ryan, Douglas, Marshall, Gibb (Frew), McQuillan, McCafferty, Smart Thistle: McGregor, Slater, McCulloch, Falconer, Docherty, McGlashan (Rigden), McBrearty (MacDonald), McGowan, Smith, Bulloch (Christie), Greenshields (Brown) There was altogether more goal action when the teams met at Petershill Park on a wild, even for Springburn standards, afternoon in February. The game’s first goal arrived inside the first 60 seconds when the weather was arguably at its worst but there was denying the quality of Robyn Galbraith’s finish that gave her side that early advantage. The Thistle equaliser arrived after 23 minutes with Rachel Donaldson claiming her first Partick Thistle goal. Donaldson heading a McBrearty free kick powerfully home. Twelve minutes later Thistle were in front when Linzi Taylor found space inside the Spartans box before steering a shot past Harrison for first Partick Thistle goal as well. Thistle weren’t to get full points though with Spartans equalising from the penalty spot after 72 minutes following Cheryl McCulloch’s trip on Louise Mason with Galbraith despatching the penalty for her second goal of the afternoon. Thistle: McGregor, Slater, McCulloch, Falconer, Fleming, Docherty, McGlashan (MacDonald), McBrearty (Fisher), McGowan, Taylor (Rigden), Donaldson. Spartans: Harrison, McCafferty, Ryan, Clelland, McMahon, Smart (Frew), Douglas, Reilly (Reynolds), Stenhouse (Mason), Galbraith, McQuillan
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.Louise Magilton 16. Rebecca McGowan 17. Linzi Taylor 18. Danica Dalziel 19. Cheryl Rigden 20. Freya Macdonald 21. Lauren Grant 24. Amy Bulloch 25. Rachel Donaldson 26. Taylor Hamill 27. Morgan Anderson 30. Taylor Fisher 32. Dionne Brown
SPARTANS 1. Alicia Yates 2. Louise Mason 3. Sarah Clelland 4. Simone McMahon 5. Dion McMahon 6. Erin Henderson 7. Lisa Ryan 8. Katie Frew 9. Ronaigh Douglas 10. Jade Stenhouse 11. Alana Marshall 13. Rachel Harrison 14. Tegan Reynolds 15. Caley Gibb 16. Rosie McQuillan 17. Robyn McCafferty 18. Rebecca Galbraith 19. Leah Sidey 20. Emma McFadyen 24. Kat Smart 25. Katie Reilly