First Team
All The Info | Rangers (A)
22nd November 2024
It’s now six games unbeaten for the Scottish Women’s Premier League second-placed in-form side as Dundee United defeated Boroughmuir Thistle 2-1 on Sunday.
Goals in either half from Steffi Simson and the prolific Robyn Smith were enough to defeat Thistle who had levelled through Brogan Anderson before the break.
Gavin Beith made two changes to the side that comprehensively beat Kilmarnock 4-0 last Sunday, Danni McGinley making her first start following injury and Steffi Simson replacing Neve Guthrie and Philippa McCallum.
The opening stages of the clash at Meggetland were largely uneventful with neither side creating anything other than one or two crosses into the area that were dealt with by the defences.
In the sixteenth minute the deadlock was broken with the first shot on goal; Stina Kleppe’s free kick was parried by Charlotte Ferguson resulting in a stramash before Steffi Simson fired through the pack of bodies for her second of the season.
Danni McGinley was on the hunt for her third goal in two games and had the opportunity nine minutes later but the striker couldn’t keep her shot down and it flew wildly over.
The weather conditions were changing from a heavy rain to a strong bitterly cold wind and back again, meaning neither side could really carve out anything for a large period of the first half.
Three minutes before the break, Boroughmuir were to claw themselves level with a well worked set piece as it was sprayed out to the right flank before being curled in for Brogan Anderson to guide a header past Meach.
Simson could have had her and United’s second less than two minutes after the restart as she jinked her way past a defender before seeing her shot pushed onto the inside of the post by Ferguson.
On the hour mark Kleppe couldn’t find the target with a free kick and shortly thereafter she and Megan Burns combined for the latter to send a dangerous cross into the box but it was slightly too high for McGinley and she couldn’t divert her header towards goal.
Kleppe hit the side netting in the 65th minute as United kept pushing for the lead again; Thistle almost going in front five minutes later when Burns had to be sharp to deny Sammy Duncan.
Midfielder Holly Napier saw two efforts in quick succession blocked and then held by Ferguson with Simson coming close to another goal as the game went into the final quarter.
McGinley and Smith combined for the latter to send a teasing ball across the face of goal to Simson but she could only watch as it hit the side netting from close range of an hour.
With eleven minutes remaining, it was relief for Gavin Beith’s side as they retook the lead and unsurprisingly it was Robyn Smith with her sixth goal in five games, lashing home after Kleppe did well to hold the ball up inside the box before laying it off for the in form striker.
It was almost three straight away when McGinley rounded Ferguson, however the angle was too tight and she hit the side netting.
Ferguson was to deny McGinley again from the edge of the box but the final chance of the afternoon fell to Thistle when McLean dragged a shot off target.
The result means United stay in second place in the league going into the winter break and are unbeaten in their last six with five wins and one draw. Their next fixture will be on January 17th when they host Kilmarnock.
Boroughmuir Thistle: Ferguson, Gibson, Clark, Goodchild, Davie, Anderson, MacLeod, Smith (McLean 76), McCabe, Duncan, Murray (Templeton 83)
Subs not used: Moodie, Browning, Wilkinson, Novoa Terrente, Trialist
Dundee United: Meach, Foote, Burns, McLaren, McMillan (McCallum 65), Clemison, Napier, Kleppe, McGinley, Smith, Simson
Subs not used: Robbie, Carter, Kern, Robson
Picture courtesy of David Robertson
