Boroughmuir Thistle came back from 2-0 down to defeat league leaders Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park in a quite incredible game on Sunday afternoon.
Kirstie McIntosh gave the hosts an early lead before the SWPL 2’s top goalscorer Josi Giard added a second on 40 minutes.
Thistle hit back on the stroke of half time, though, when Holly Aitchison expertly dispatched a penalty to halve the home side’s advantage.
Thistle then came flying out the traps in the second half, with Cara Borthwick and Aitchison on hand to fire home from inside the box and complete the Boroughmuir comeback by the hour mark.
A quite remarkable final quarter saw Beth Macleod come on to save a Hamilton penalty and double-goalscorer Aitchison receive a red card, but Thistle managed to hold on to secure a crucial victory.
It looked to be one of those days when McIntosh opened the scoring inside 10 minutes. The Accies have been flying so far this season, brushing teams aside with ease and scoring for fun.
And they scored again on 40 minutes when German striker Giard notched her 12th of the campaign with a smart finish into the bottom left corner. That was it, then - Thistle’s recent league resurgence put to an end by the untouchable league leaders. Or so some may have thought.
In fact, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that Hamilton were perhaps fortunate to be two goals to the good. For much of the first half after McIntosh’s goal, Thistle dominated possession and looked the more threatening of the two sides.
Fiona Gibson and Jayden Simmons flashed some dangerous balls into the box, and Aitchison found the back of the net with a header but was deemed to have been in an offside position.
Thistle did, then, get what their play deserved when Aitchison coolly converted a first half stoppage time spot kick after Ria McCafferty was brought down in the box.
Into the second half, Boroughmuir came absolutely flying out the traps - launching wave after wave of attack, and Hamilton looked rattled.
Half time substitute Becky Galbraith saw her shot blocked from close range following pinball in the box, and a number of crosses from Emily Arthur and Borthwick looked to cause the Accies’ backline some trouble.
And it was Borthwick who drew Thistle level 11 minutes after the restart when she prodded the ball beyond Chloe Nicolson to bag her fifth league goal of the campaign.
Just four minutes later, the comeback was complete. Aitchison was at the heart of the action again as she ran onto a loose ball and slammed a right-footed effort into the back of the net from around 12 yards out.
The hosts - who have largely had it all their own way so far this season - looked shell-shocked as Boroughmuir continued to mount attacks.
Arthur’s header amidst a crowd of bodies landed just wide of the goal, and McCafferty’s piledriver of a free kick from around 30 yards flew just inches over the Hamilton crossbar.
As well as looking dangerous on the attack, Thistle were equally adept in showing a different side to their game - more than matching Hamilton’s physicality and proving they were up for the fight.
However, just as it looked like Thistle would see the game out, Hamilton were awarded a penalty. Toni Harkness was adjudged to have fouled the attacker despite receiving a boot to the face and having to go off as a result.
With no substitute goalkeeper in the matchday squad, it was midfielder Beth Macleod who courageously donned the gloves and pulled off an incredible save low to her right from the Accies spot kick to keep Thistle’s lead intact.
An extra eight minutes were added at the end of the second half due to the stoppage while Harkness received treatment - not enough for Hamilton to pull one back but enough for the referee to dismiss Aitchison for a second yellow card offence.
So quite the game it was - five goals, a comeback from 2-0 down, an outfielder saving a penalty, and a red card all in the space of 90 minutes. Boroughmuir remain in third spot, one point behind Kilmarnock and now nine points behind Hamilton as Thistle look to continue the promotion push.
The international break follows next weekend, so Boroughmuir are not back in action until Sunday 8th December when a trip to face Livingston in the third round of the Scottish Cup awaits. The kick off time for that one will be confirmed in due course.
Hamilton Academical: Nicolson, Macdonald, Quinn (C), McIntosh, Giard, Townsley, Reid, Ritchie, Campbell, Kerr, Tobin
Subs: Halliday, Anderson, Coakley, McGuire, Strain, Love, Strain, Docherty, Mcstay
Boroughmuir Thistle: Harkness (Macleod 90’), Lynch, Arthur (Reid 79’), Mason (C) (Galbraith 46’), Simmons, Michie, Forbes, Gibson, McCafferty, Borthwick (Hall 76’), Aitchison
Subs: Reid, Sheehan, Macleod, Forsyth, Galbraith, Brady, Hinchcliffe, Hall, Parrish
Referee: Ryan Kennedy
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