Opening day delight for Boroughmuir

Boroughmuir Thistle got off to the perfect start in SWPL 2 for 2024/25, defeating Ayr United by seven goals to one at Meadowbank on Sunday afternoon!

Robin Gallagher got the hosts off the mark inside eight minutes before Becky Galbraith, Cailin Michie, and Louise Mason gave Thistle a healthy advantage around 25 minutes in.

The away side pulled one back shortly before half time, but the second half saw Boroughmuir remain in control as Galbraith and Michie bagged their second goals either side of Amy Forbes’ 71st minute strike.

The result means Boroughmuir have won their opening SWPL 2 match for the first time since season 2021/22, and further boosts confidence amongst the new-look squad.

Eighty four days since their last competitive outing, Boroughmuir Thistle were back in action at a sunny Meadowbank Stadium as they got their SWPL 2 campaign underway for season 2024/25.

The visitors, Ayr United, travelled to the capital ready for their first taste of second-tier football after defeating Glasgow Women in last season’s play-off.

It would prove to be a difficult day for the league’s newbies as Boroughmuir started brightly and opened the scoring inside eight minutes. Ayr ‘keeper Charlotte Ferguson could only parry Mason’s cross onto the feet of the onrushing Gallagher and she tapped home from close range.

Just two minutes later it was two-nil when Galbraith slotted the ball into the back of the net after the United goalkeeper’s attempted clearance deflected off Gallagher and into the path of Thistle’s number 18.

The hosts continued to dominate all over the park and went close via Cara Borthwick’s low effort that drifted just wide.

On 18 minutes, Michie stepped up to produce the first of her two screamers when she pinged the ball into the top left corner via a left-footed strike from around 20 yards out.

Mason - who assumed duties as Club Captain earlier in the week - then got in on the act seven minutes later when she struck into the bottom corner from Galbraith’s cutback and following prior excellent link-up play between the pair.

To their credit, Ayr United didn’t let their heads drop and pulled one back shortly before half time via a Louise Cameron header from a corner.

In the second half, though, Thistle continued to control the match despite the difficult conditions of searing heat.

On 67 minutes, Galbraith pounced on an error by the Ayr defence and deftly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Ferguson to restore Thistle’s four-goal advantage.

Defender Forbes then stepped up four minutes later to make it six when she managed to get a low shot away amidst a stramash of bodies in the box following Mason’s corner.

And Borougmuir’s scoring was capped off by Michie with 12 minutes remaining when the midfielder once again struck an absolute pearler into the top left corner from long-range. Ayr’s Ferguson did manage to get a hand to it but couldn’t quite prevent the trajectory of the ball into the back of the net.

So 7-1 in favour of the home side it finished, with five different scorers and all goals coming from summer signings making their debuts in purple and white.

Up next for Boroughmuir is a trip west to face Livingston WFC at Almondvale on Sunday 18th August - kick-off in that one is 4pm.

Boroughmuir Thistle: Harkness, Gallagher, Armstrong, Mason (C), Michie, Forbes, Galbraith, Gibson, McCafferty, Borthwick, Aitchison

Subs used: Simmons, Forsyth, Sheehan, Arthur, Novoa-Torrente

Unused subs: Angelini, Brady, Parrish, Moore

Ayr United: Ferguson, Bingham, Barbour (C), McBlain, Cameron, Morgan, Dick, Duthie, McClounan, Nicol, Baird

Subs used: Collins, Hanlon, Turner, Heppenstall, Neil

Unused subs: Paton, Taysum

Referee: Daniel Graves

Goal highlights

Post-match reaction