Boroughmuir Thistle progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup following a well-deserved victory over Dundee United on Sunday afternoon.
Becky Galbraith put Thistle in front against the SWPL 1 side just before half-time before adding a second shortly after the restart.
Cara Borthwick then added a third around 10 minutes later before the home side pulled one back via Ashley Robertson.
Thistle held on, though, to secure their place in the last eight of a domestic cup competition for the second time this season.
Thistle started brightly at Foundation Park, with Louise Mason, Borthwick, and Galbraith all causing a nuisance against the United backline.
A penalty was awarded to the away side - perhaps rather fortunately - on 22 minutes after Borthwick hit the deck in the box, but Holly Aitchison’s spot kick was saved by ex-Boroughmuir ‘keeper Beth Rennie.
Boroughmuir didn’t let the heads drop, though, and found their opening goal on 40 minutes when Galbraith was on hand to tap in Cailin Michie’s low, driven effort at the back post.
The ball was perhaps going in anyway and Galbraith had perhaps ventured offside - but neither mattered as the goal stood and Thistle went in at the break in command.
Into the second period, Thistle continued in much the same attacking vain - Borthwick bombed forward down the right and drilled in a cross which narrowly evaded Galbraith on this occasion.
However, the forward didn’t have to wait long to notch her second goal of the game and third in the space of four days. Galbraith latched onto Michie’s high ball in behind, made a beeline for the box, and expertly dinked a right-footed effort into the top corner of the near post from six yards.
Just ten minutes later, birthday girl Michie turned provider once more as she floated a cross towards the back post where Borthwick was waiting on hand to nod the ball into the back of the net.
The three-nil scoreline was little more than Thistle deserved as they had taken the game to their upper-division opponents, giving the Tangerines little time to exert their own game plan. Mason in particular was a constant source of trouble for Dundee United, barely giving them a second on the ball as she constantly harried her midfield counterparts.
Dundee United did pull one back with 15 minutes remaining courtesy of Robertson’s well-taken edge-of-the-box strike into the bottom corner, but Boroughmuir stood tall to thwart the home side’s late rally and ensure their name made its way into the quarter final draw.
The draw for the Scottish Cup Quarter Finals will take place at 6pm on Monday evening, with ties due to be played on Sunday 9th March 2025. Before that, though, we face a trip to play Rossvale at the Kirkintilloch Community Sports Centre on Wednesday evening. Kick-off in that one is at 7.45pm.
Dundee United: Rennie, Frew (C), Martindale, Robertson, Moodie, Marnie, Logan, Burns, Taylor, Brien, Hutchison
Subs: Mowatt, Creamer, McFarlane
Boroughmuir Thistle: Angelini, Lynch (Novoa-Torrente 81’), Mason (C) (Reid 68’), Michie, Forbes, Galbraith (Sheehan 81’), Gibson, McCafferty, Borthwick, Aitchison (Arthur 60’), Varnava
Subs: Moodie, Reid, Sheehan, Arthur, Simmons, Novoa-Torrente, Brady, Moore
Referee: Jordan Kinnon
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