Matchday one. The culmination of months of preparation encapsulated in 90-minues.
An opportunity to showcase the connections built within the squad, the tactics drilled on the training pitch, and the ambitions of the team for the season ahead. However, for defender Jenna Penman, matchday one in Springburn presented an unpredictable challenge.
A stalwart of the Motherwell defence, Penman instantly established herself at the core of the Motherwell backline last campaign – featuring in every match.
Penman continued where she left off, with an impressive individual first-half display against Glasgow City. However, whilst making a last-ditch challenge, an awkward landing soon ruled the centre-back out of action.
Working hard behind the scenes, Penman is determined to get back onto the pitch.
“The injury came at the worst possible time,” Penman acknowledged.
“It’s extremely frustrating having worked all summer, heading into the season feeling mentally and physically strong, but having that almost instantly sidelined.
“I was really looking forward to building on the positive season that I had last year. I worked really hard during our time away from the squad in the summer, but injuries are inevitable in sport and unfortunately for me that became a reality just half a game into the season.
“Two-minutes into the second half against Glasgow City, I was caught shielding the ball back to Becky [Cameron], and I jumped over her and just felt myself go flying.
“I landed directly on my shoulder and knew that something wasn’t right straight away. I tore my AC joint, which is the group of ligaments that hold your collar bone down. I tore three with a partial tear in one, resulting in my collar bone moving out of place.
Despite the disappointing start to the 2025/26 SWPL campaign, the 22-year-old is continuing her recovery towards a return to competitive action.
“I received my surgery really quick,” Penman noted.
“I started my recovery only two-weeks after the incident, but was told that it would keep me out for between 3-6 months.
“Recovery has been really positive so far. I was in a sling for the first four weeks, but I have been making progress each day, gaining more movement and less restriction in my day-to-day activities.
“I’ve been spending more time in the gym continuing my rehab and strength work, but I’ll still have awhile to wait before I can start running and prepare for joining in with training.”
The disappointment of Motherwell’s Sky Sports league Cup exit to Hibernian persisted in East Kilbride, with the defending champions overpowering a spirited Motherwell display to seal a third consecutive defeat for the women of steel.
Consistency has been the prevailing factor in Motherwell’s recent struggles, with the women of steel sitting eighth in the Premier League table.
“Our squad is more than capable of competing amongst the best in the Premier League, but we have definitely lacked consistency at times,” Penman added.
“For the most part, we have performed well against the teams around us. We know that the ambition is to get back into the top-six, so we need to be stronger against those teams above us.
“We have shown on occasion that we are capable of competing amongst the full-time sides in the league. The 2-1 defeat to Rangers on another day may have swung in our favour, so it’s definitely frustrating being stuck on the sidelines unable to help the team through.
“The squad have gelled well, and you can see that at times on the pitch. We have some huge games coming up after the international break, and we are confident that we can perform and get the desired results.”
The challenges don’t come any easier for the women of steel, as they travel across the M90 to the North-East coast, as they face Montrose at Links Park. Despite not being able to feature in the matchday squad, Penman is focused and determined on getting back as quickly as possible.
“The thought of getting back onto the pitch is what’s driving me right now,” Penman emphasised.
“My rehab at the moment is very tedious and boring, but every little step I can take to be fit and ready for selection is worth it.
“Watching the girls struggle at points this season has been hard, especially after playing every game last year, but I’m just trying get myself into the best possible position for when I am ready to play again.
“I can’t wait to play again, and I think about it every day.”
