Boroughmuir fell to defeat in their first match of the new year as Gartcairn ran out 3-1 victors at Meadowbank on Sunday afternoon.
Yasmin Boyce opened the scoring for the away side with a free kick from just inside the Boroughmuir half on 29 minutes.
Morgan Anderson was then on hand to double her side’s lead with 20 minutes remaining, before Madison Maxwell made it three just minutes later.
Boroughmuir pulled one back via Cailin Michie in added time but it did little to soften the blow of a disappointing start to 2025.
The result sees Gartcairn move to within a point of Boroughmuir who remain in third, but are now 11 points adrift of league leaders Hamilton.
Amidst dreadful weather conditions, Boroughmuir started relatively brightly at Meadowbank with Cara Borthwick flashing a crossed ball into the path of Holly Aitchison who couldn’t quite convert inside five minutes.
Becky Galbraith then latched onto Aitchison’s ball in from the left but couldn’t properly adjust herself as she fired wide from around 12 yards.
Free kicks were Gartcairn’s best attacking source as they went close before then opening the scoring via Boyce’s long-ranger. It’s certainly not one that Thistle ‘keeper Toni Harkness will want to watch back, with the ball slipping through her hands en route into the back of the net.
As the rain got heavier, the away side seemed to take confidence from their goal and Anderson fired narrowly wide with a curling effort.
Into the second half, Boroughmuir looked dangerous on the attack immediately after the restart. Two quickfire corners preceded Louise Mason’s effort sailing just over the bar as the home side aimed to restore parity.
Galbraith then had the ball in the back of the net but was flagged offside, and Aitchison went close with a drive from the edge of the box.
However, it was the away side who got on the scoresheet once again just moments later when Anderson was quickest to react to a free kick which rattled the crossbar and she turned the ball home.
A triple substitution - including a Boroughmuir debut for January signing Athina Varnava - quickly followed as Andy Enwood tried to salvage something from the game as time marched on. But a mix up between Ria McCafferty and Harkness at the back allowed Maxwell to take advantage and add Gartcairn’s third.
Thistle kept at it, though, and managed to pull one back in the third minute of stoppage time with a neat finish from Michie into the bottom left corner from just inside the box.
Boroughmuir’s first league defeat since mid-October sees them remain in third place but fall further behind the league leaders as the race for promotion continues. Up next is a trip to face Livingston (again) on Sunday afternoon at Almondvale Stadium, with the match kicking off at 1.30pm.
Boroughmuir Thistle: Harkness, Lynch (Sheehan 77’), Mason (C) (Novoa-Torrente 77’), Simmons (Arthur 81’), Michie, Forbes, Galbraith, Gibson, McCafferty, Borthwick (Varnava 77’), Aitchison
Subs: Angelini, Sheehan, Arthur, Macleod, Forsyth, Novoa-Torrente, Brady, Varnava, Parrish
Gartcairn WFC: Johnston, Wilson, Wilson (C), Carter, McDonald-Nguah, Boyce, Anderson, McDonald, Maxwell, Jackson, McGowan
Subs: McPhie, Healy, McGonigle, Wands, Gray, Robb, Lawson, Simpson
Referee: David Gallagher
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