First Team
TEAM NEWS | AIRDRIEONIANS (A)
26th April 2024
The lead at the top of the Park’s Motor Group SWPL2 has been extended to nine points after United defeated Boroughmuir Thistle on Sunday in their game in hand.
With second-placed Glasgow out of action, a Robyn Smith double coupled with goals from Tammy Harkin and Danni McGinley sealed a 4-1 win despite Beth MacLeod’s consolation.
Head Coach Graeme Hart made one change from the previous week’s win over St Johnstone as Erin Ross replaced Rebecca McMillan with Luisa Ballach, Caroline Nachman, Cassie Cowper and Chloe Clemison all returning to the matchday squad.
The visitors came out of the traps flying and had chances early on when a stramash saw a shot blocked before Elvie McLean nodded wide from close range.
United’s first chance of the game came after ten minutes as Megan Burns put the ball past the post when it looked easier to score.
Two minutes later Laurie Ross connected with a Robyn Smith cross only to see her header smothered by Moodie.
Ross was involved again shortly after; some excellent build-up play ended in the attacker slicing her shot wide.
Danni McGinley was denied by both Moodie and the woodwork around the 20-minute mark but it wasn’t long until the deadlock was broken.
A ball looked to be heading for a goal kick but McGinley did well to keep it in before playing it back to Rachel Todd; she swung a ball into the box that was headed clear as far as Smith who rifled into the net.
The lead was doubled just after the half-hour mark and Todd was involved again when her cross from the byline was headed in by Smith for her eighth of the season.
Shots from either side failed to find the target as the game crept into half-time with United well ahead.
The restart started off very intensely as Alix Wilkinson forced Lauren Perry to tip her 40-yard strike over the bar. Following a counter attack from the corner Harkin was denied by Moodie.
Smith could have had her hat trick in the 53rd minute but couldn’t keep her shot down from the edge of the box.
Boroughmuir forced their way back into the game in the 66th minute following some slack defending; McLean’s cross into the box found Beth MacLeod and she was more than happy to head past Perry.
With fifteen minutes remaining, the game went from almost being 2-2 to 3-1 as Thistle were made to rue their misses. Sammy Duncan found herself one on one with Perry as the United stopper pulled off a fantastic save and from this they charged up the pitch to win a throw.
McGinley found McLaren with the throw-in and from her flick on Tammy Harkin rose highest for her seventh of the season.
Less than sixty seconds later it was four for United and a deserved goal for McGinley, her 17th in 15 games when she received a through ball from Guthrie before lashing home.
Sub Georgie Robb and McGinley came close to extending the lead late on as United stretched their advantage at the top of the league.
Next week United are at home again as they host second-place Glasgow in a top-of-the-table clash.
Perry, McLaren, McGinley, Guthrie (Ballach 79), E. Ross (McMillan 83), Smith, L. Ross (Cowper 54), Todd, Foote, Burns (Clemison 70), Harkin (Robb 79)
Subs not used: Kern, Clemison
