Motherwell are in SWPL Cup action on Sunday, as Spartans travel to Ravenscraig.
Having defeated the Edinburgh side in the SSE Scottish Cup semi-final last season, the women of steel face them for the first time in the 2019 campaign.
Kick-off is at 2.30pm.
The Opposition
Spartans started the season with a bang, picking up a highly credible draw against last season’s title contenders Hibernian.
Debbi McCulloch’s side followed that with defeats to Celtic and Glasgow City but they’ve also picked up a league win against Stirling University, and a victory in their cup first round match with Hamilton Academical.
Spartans were comfortably mid-table in 2017, but had a nervous year last season as they found themselves nearer the bottom end of the league.
This campaign they have four points from their four league games, though they trail Motherwell on goal difference. They currently occupy sixth place in the table, the same position as at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign.
Despite competing in different divisions last season, Motherwell did meet this afternoon’s opponents in the semi final of the SSE Scottish Cup in October 2018.
On that occasion it was Donald Jennow’s side who would emerge the victors with goals from Megan Burns, Kerry Montgomery and Caitlin Russell earning them a place in the final.
Sunday’s match will be the first of two meetings between the teams in the space of a week, with the sides facing off again in the league next Sunday at Ainslie Park.
Position
Motherwell: SWPL1 – fifth – four points
Spartans: SWPL1 – sixth – four points
Motherwell’s recent form
A 0-0 draw at Celtic last time out for Motherwell showed the progression the new-look side have made, holding the ambitious side with a hard-working performance.
A 13-0 SWPL Cup win over Hutchison Vale demonstrated the goalscoring prowess remains. In the league, an opening day win over Stirling University has since been followed up by a controversial defeat at Forfar Farmington, and a home defeat to high-flying Hibernian.