Motherwell’s long-awaited first matchday in the top six of the Scottish Women’s Premier League failed to live up to aspirations, as the women of steel were dismantled by title-chasers Rangers in East Kilbride last weekend.
Motherwell battled relentlessly till the final whistle in their maiden top-six encounter, but the part-time side ultimately couldn’t sustain their defence against the rampant Rangers frontline, as the visitors secured a comfortable victory at K-Park. A Katie Wilkinson hat-trick, braces from Camille Lafaix and Kirsty Howat, with a single-goal from Rio hardy secured a harsh victory for Rangers.
Defender Chelsie Watson acknowledged the frustrations of their opening post-split match, but remained adamant that the squad are capable of competing with the best in the country.
“We let ourselves down in that game,” Watson acknowledged.
“We have earned our place in the top-six and our status as the best part-time team in the country, but we want to continue to progress. We don’t want to just accept just being in the top-six as our ceiling, and struggle through to the end of the season.
“Facing full-time teams will always be a tough daunting task, but we have previously proven our standards against Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Glasgow City – achieving some huge results during that time. Playing these teams on a weekly basis within the top-six is where we want to be as a squad. We want to be competing with the best, and continually developing our performances on the pitch.
“We have earned the right to call ourselves a top-six team, but we have to now kick-on and be competitive in that environment. Ultimately, with four teams chasing the title, every point and goal can be the difference maker, so we understand that everyone will be on their finest game, but we have an opportunity to demonstrate what we’re capable of.”
It has already been a historic campaign for the women of steel, with Paul Brownlie’s side achieving their first-ever place in the top-six of the SWPL whilst returning to Hampden Park for the first-time since 2022, as the women of steel achieved another place in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final, but Watson remained adamant that the squad aren’t there to make up numbers.
“We have come a long way this season,” Watson explained.
“Earning a place in the top-six was an incredible achievement in itself, but to also have our day at Hampden Park next month is immensely special to the entirety of the squad. We’re not there just to enjoy the occasion though, we are there to ultimately compete within the top-six and reach our first major cup final since 2018.
“We can’t and we won’t just accept our position and look to just make up the numbers. We have to head into these final few months with the mentality that we can be the best, and take the game to each team that we face.
“We want the top-six to be a regular occurrence for the squad, and we need to be consistent to achieve this. To be consistent, you have to perform against the full-time teams and we want to showcase what we’re capable of when we return to face Hibs in over a weeks time.”
Motherwell will face another lengthy break before returning to domestic action against Hibernian on the 30 March, and Watson explained how the squad will utilise their additional time on the training pitch ahead of their next top-six tie in East Kilbride.
“Hibs will always be a difficult test,” Watson added.
“They have really built and cemented their status over the past few months, as genuine title and Sky Sports League Cup contenders, so we recognise the challenges we will face at K-Park. They are top of SWPL for a reason and will obviously be a difficult test, but we have players in the squad capable of causing them problems, and we are continuing to work as hard as we can on the training pitch to prepare and craft our gameplan accordingly.
“We will be ready for the game against Hibs, and we can’t wait to see you all in the stands supporting us throughout the full 90-minutes.”
