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Motherwell are aiming to pull off a shock as they take on Hibernian in the SSE Scottish Cup final.

Having deservedly earned their place in Sunday’s showpiece at Firhill, Donald Jennow’s team are looking to lift the trophy by defeating a top flight Hibs side who have lost just once all season and missed out on the league title by just three points.

The women of steel won the SWPL 2 title with a record points tally, earning their place in the top division next season, and are going for the double in Glasgow.

Motherwell saw off Spartans in the semi final, having also defeated Cumbernauld Colts, Aberdeen and St Johnstone.

Hibs meanwhile saw off main rivals Glasgow City in the last four, having previously overcome Edinburgh University Hutchison Vale, Dundee United and Thistle Weir.

Kick off at Firhill Stadium on Sunday is at 4.10pm. Adult prices on the gate are £5 and concessions can get in for £2. Kids aged under 16 get in for free.

We encourage all Motherwell fans to get along and support the women as they look to defy their underdog status and pull off an upset.

Emma Black says capturing the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup with Motherwell would rank alongside the top achievements in her career.

The women of steel take on Hibernian at Firhill on Sunday, aiming to complete a remarkable league and cup double.

Black has enjoyed a trophy-laden career, earning an impressive nine Premier League winners medals, six Scottish Cup winners medals and six Scottish Premier League Cup winners medals.

Despite having won all there is to win in the Scottish women’s game, the defender insists sampling Scottish Cup success on the back of a superb league campaign would be amongst the best.

“Winning the Scottish Cup would be right up there with anything I have achieved in the game,” she said.

“Hibs have won all the domestic cups out with the league in the last few seasons, that show they have that winning mentality already in place.

“They have a lot of quality and international players and we are under no illusions as to how difficult a game it will be.

“If you said to me when I signed in January that we’d have won the league having gone all the season unbeaten on the pitch and made the Scottish Cup final I’d have said there was no chance.

“I was a bit unsure of what to expect coming in, but Eddie [Wolecki Black] brought a number of players on board and created that winning mentality, as well as a professional environment.

“People might look at the results and say it was easy for us as we’ve been scoring five or six goals in most games, but it has been far from easy.

“It’s hard to keep on producing good results and performances every week, especially having won the league with a number of games to spare.

“It’s important we continue to train hard and keep the levels up.”

The recent success of the Scottish women’s side clinching qualification for the World Cup has ensured the profile of the female game in the country has never been higher.

Black, who has 40 caps for the Scottish national team, is excited about the continued progress of the women’s game and hopes it encourages Motherwell fans to get along to Firhill to back the team.

“It would be amazing to have Motherwell supporters there at Firhill,” she said. “We’ve won the league, we’re in the Scottish Cup final, come and see us and we can showcase our talents.

“There will be a lot of ‘Well fans who haven’t been to a live women’s match. I’d encourage them to get along and give it a try.

“Everyone of us grew up dreaming of playing in a Scottish Cup final and you want to have supporters there.

“It gives you extra confidence seeing supporters in the stand and it drives you on to win it for them.

“The brilliant achievements of the national side have boosted the profile of the women’s game massively. It has never been higher and that’s really exciting.”

Motherwell rounded off their outstanding SWPL 2 campaign with a 5-1 victory over St Johnstone at Braidhurst.

The women of steel scored an incredible 90 goals in 21 league matches during a superb season and the champions finished 21 points ahead of nearest rivals Kilmarnock.

Donald Jennow’s side can now look forward to the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup final against Hibs, after a convincing win in which the three points were rarely in doubt.

The hosts were forced into an early change when Kerry Montgomery hobbled off to be replaced by Lesley Condie and the substitute almost opened the scoring on 10 minutes when she headed wide Katey Turner’s cross.

The hosts would break the deadlock six minutes later, courtesy of an unlikely source.

Ashley Nicolson has been a rock at the heart of the Motherwell defence throughout the season, but she had failed to add her name to the scoresheet until she reacted quickest to pounce on Kirsty McLaughlin’s delivery and smashed the ball high beyond Rebecca Cameron.

After taking the lead, Jennow’s side were clearly buoyed and what would follow in the next four minutes effectively ended the match as a contest.

Turner, who was causing all sorts of problems for the Saints defence, sent across a tantalising delivery and Amy Henderson’s sliced clearance found the corner of her own net.

On 20 minutes it was 3-0. Hayley Cunningham’s corner with perfect and Suzanne Mulvey leapt to head the ball home.

Motherwell looked determined not to let their levels drop and Sammy Hare passed up two opportunities, before adding her name to the scoresheet with three minutes remaining in the first half.

Turner took on her marker, before cutting the ball across the face of goal and Hare made no mistake from close range.

To their credit, St Johnstone didn’t let their heads drop and they got a goal back early in the second half when Rhianna Tweedie’s shot looped over the head of Kendall Welsh and found the net.

A series of substitutions for both sides broke up the rhythm of the second half, but it was Motherwell who continued to enjoy the better of the chances.

The final goal of the game came when two substitutes combined. Caitlin Russell’s cross slipped through the grasp of the Saints keeper and Susan Fairlie was left with the simple task of tapping the ball into the net from a yard out.

Emma Black almost got in on the scoring act with a deft chip, but she would see her effort land on the top of the goal in what would prove to be the last incident of note in the match.

The women of steel will now bid to clinch a double in next Sunday’s Scottish Cup final at Firhill.

Motherwell will end their record breaking SWPL 2 campaign on Sunday, when they host St Johnstone at Braidhurst Academy.

The women of steel defeated Glasgow Girls last weekend to move on to 53 points for the season and surpass Forfar Farmington’s previous league record of 52.

With the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup final against Hibernian firmly on the horizon, Donald Jennow will be looking for a big performance from his side and may also use the occasion to hand game time to some of his fringe players pushing for a place on the big day.

Kick off at Braidhurst Academy in Motherwell is at 2pm. Entry to watch the game is free.

The Visitors

St Johnstone will visit Braidhurst hoping for a change in fortunes, having lost their three previous meetings with ‘Well.

While they have failed to get the better of Motherwell so far this season, Jason McCrindle’s side have represented a stern test on each occasion, especially in the previous two clashes in which a single goal has separated the teams.

Saints currently sit fourth in the table and behind Hearts only on goal difference. Should they avoid defeat against the champions, they will surpass their points total of 31 from last season.

Form Guide

Motherwell last five:

• W – Glasgow Girls 3-2
• W – Spartans 3-1
• D – Hearts 1-1
• W – Aberdeen 4-0
• W – St Johnstone 1-0

St Johnstone last five:

• D – Kilmarnock 2-2
• L – EUHV – 2-0
• W – Glasgow Girls 3-0
• L – Motherwell 1-0
• L – Hearts 0-2

Last Meeting

St Johnstone 0-1 Motherwell, SSE Scottish Women’s Cup, 16 September 2018

Motherwell booked their place in the semi-final of the SSE Women’s Scottish Cup with a hard fought 1-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Megan Burns bravely headed home the only goal after 10 minutes and despite finding themselves on the back foot for much of the second half, the ‘Well defence held firm to book their place in the last four.

What They Said

Katey Turner believes the meeting with St Johnstone will provide perfect preparation ahead of the Scottish Cup final clash with Hibs and insists it’s important that performance levels don’t drop.

“It’s absolutely vital that we go out and get the three points at the weekend,” the new signing said. “A good performance will stand us in good stead to go on and compete in the final, we’ve got to be ready to raise our levels, so we can go out and compete at the highest level.”

‘Well head coach Donald Jennow has paid tribute to his players following an excellent league campaign and called for an improved performance after a below-par display against Glasgow Girls.

“I’m delighted to be talking about this game as the second last of our season,” he said. “The players have grown as individuals and as a group and deservedly close out the season as league champions.

“Since I took over there have been some good performances and some that fell below our standards, last week was one of the latter but given the mentality of the players we have I fully expect them to react positively against St Johnstone.

“St Johnstone have given us some of our toughest games this season and so if we want to finish our league campaign off properly we will need to perform well.”

Follow the action

If you can’t make it along to Braidhurst, you can follow @MotherwellLFC on Twitter for team news, live updates, goal highlights and action shots from the match.

Katey Turner believes the warm welcome from her new Motherwell team mates has allowed her to make an instant impact with the women of steel.

The former Hibs attacker came off the bench to set up the decisive goal in the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup win over Spartans, before marking her league debut with a goal and two assists as ‘Well defeated Glasgow Girls 3-2.

Turner is now hoping to continue her excellent start when St Johnstone visit Braidhurst on Sunday for their final SWPL2 fixture of the season and has stressed the importance of the game in building her match sharpness.

“It’s been a really good first few weeks here,” she said. “The girls have been very welcoming and that’s made the transition easy.

“I hadn’t been in a team environment for a few months, but they’ve made me feel very comfortable.

“You can be as fit as you possibly can be, but match sharpness is a totally different ball game.

“I played the 90 minutes against Glasgow Girls and hopefully I can get more game time against St Johnstone.

“These games are going to be absolutely vital for me in building up my match fitness.

“My aim coming in was to make a positive impact, I’ve put as much effort in as possible and I think that’s paid off.”

Motherwell will have the opportunity to conclude what has been a fantastic league campaign in style when they host Saints on Sunday.

Donald Jennow’s side have an 18-point lead over nearest rivals Kilmarnock and have set a record SWPL 2 points total with one game to spare.

It’s an encounter that Turner believes will provide perfect preparation ahead of their Scottish Cup final clash with Hibs and insists it’s important that performance levels don’t drop.

“It’s absolutely vital that we go out and get the three points at the weekend,” the 20-year-old added.

“A good performance will stand us in good stead to go on and compete in the final, we’ve got to be ready to raise our levels, so we can go out and compete at the highest level.”

Having had three different spells with Hibs, Turner is well versed on the qualities the Edinburgh side possess.

She admits coming up against her former team mates is a challenge that excites her and an occasion where she is keen to show demonstrate her qualities.

“It’ll be a strange one, they were my last club before joining Motherwell and I know a lot of the girls really well,” said Turner.

“It’s all about going out there, trying to prove yourself and hopefully we can come out on top.

“The Scottish Cup final is the best we could have wished for and it’s very exciting for us all to be preparing to give it our best choice shot against Hibs.

“It would be great to have a big support and a good atmosphere for the final.

“The women’s game has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years and the media coverage has increased, there’s so many positives right now.”

Motherwell have received three nominations for this year’s Scottish Women’s Football annual awards.

Top scorer Suzanne Mulvey is one of four players up for the SWPL 2 Player of the Year award, going head to head with St Johnstone’s Jade McDonald, Lauren Evans from Glasgow Girls and Hearts’ Pamela Liddell.

The team collectively have been nominated for the Senior Team of the Year gong, marking their incredible season which has seen them win the league with a record points tally and upset the odds by reaching the SSE Scottish Cup final.

Motherwell are up against the nation’s top two clubs, Glasgow City and Hibernian, as well as Forfar Farmington.

Former boss Eddie Wolecki Black has also been nominated for Senior Coach of the Year for his efforts in delivering the league title, before departing for Celtic.

This year’s awards dinner will take place in Glasgow on Saturday, 17 November.

Get your tickets for our own Player of the Year awards

Our women’s team have had a hugely successful year, lifting the SWPL 2 title in record time and reaching the SSE Women’s Scottish Cup final against Hibernian.

Let’s celebrate their success as we hold their Player of the Year awards dinner on Friday, 16 November.

For just £32 per person, you can enjoy a two-course meal at the Centenary Suite here at Fir Park. With a glitz and glam dress code, the night will be hosted by Suzie McGuire.

To book your ticket, just email events@motherwellfc.co.uk or call 01698 333333.

Motherwell smashed the SWPL2 record points tally with a battling 3-2 victory over Glasgow Girls at Budhill Park.

The women of steel move on to 53 points after their 17th victory of the season, surpassing Forfar Farmington’s tally of 52 set in 2017 with one game remaining.

Donald Jennow made four changes to the starting team that defeated Spartans to earn a place in the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup final.

Katey Turner made her first start for the team, while Caitlin Russell, Natasha Roberts and Kaitlyn Canavan were all handed starting roles.

Turner marked her league debut in perfect fashion, when her low cross evaded everyone inside the area and found the bottom corner to give ‘Well the lead after just four minutes.

Despite taking an early lead, Motherwell were struggling to take a grip on the game and the hosts deservedly got back on terms with eight minutes of the first half remaining.

After a nice passing move, Lauren Evans fired low beyond Kendall Welsh to level the scores.

Things would get even better for the hosts just four minutes later, when Shannon Ashley Mulligan latched on to a through ball and lashed the ball high into the net.

It was the first time Motherwell had trailed a match at the interval in any competition this season, presenting Jennow and his coaching staff with a difficult half time team talk to stir their struggling side.

Whatever was said during the break clearly had an effect, as within 60 seconds of the restart, Motherwell were level.

Having scored in the first half, Turner this time turned provider and she picked out Sammy Hare who coolly finished.

Hayley Cunningham and Lauryn Reside had efforts blocked as the visitors looked to get ahead for the second time in the match. At the other end, Evans’ shot failed to trouble Welsh.

It looked like the game was heading for a draw before Motherwell were presented with the perfect opportunity to claim the win with five minutes remaining.

Turner’s run was brought to an end by a careless foul by Katie Hay and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Cunningham stepped up to take the resulting kick and despite the keeper getting a hand to it, she couldn’t keep the ball from nestling in the back of the net.

Evans came close with a free kick as Glasgow Girls looked for a response, but the Motherwell defence held firm to claim all three points on a day where the result was undoubtably better than the performance.

Motherwell finish their SWPL2 campaign next Sunday when they host St Johnstone, before taking on Hibernian in the Scottish Cup final one week later.

Head coach Donald Jennow has strengthened his squad with the addition of two new players, with the prospect of another joining shortly.

The women of steel are in the final of the SSE Women’s Scottish Cup next month, but before then close their league campaign with games against Glasgow Girls and St Johnstone.

A win on Sunday at Budhill Park will see ‘Well move onto 54 points, a record haul for SWPL 2.

However, a number of injuries have left the squad thin and Jennow has taken the opportunity to add striker Katey Turner, as well as goalkeeper Autumn Farrell to his pool.

Turner has arrived from Hibs and actually made her debut last Sunday in the 3-1 semi final success over Spartans at Forthbank.

The 22-year-old forward has now enjoyed three separate spells with the Hibees, but has also turned out for Accies and Rangers following her youth days with Dunfermline.

Goalkeeper Farrell is another who has worked previously with Jennow at Glasgow City and another who has came out of a break from football to join up with ‘Well.

The 22-year-old came through the youth ranks at Celtic, before being snapped up by City back in 2014.

After a year with the squad, she spent a season on loan at Hearts during the 2015 campaign, but stepped out for work reasons. Farrell will compete with youngster Kendall Welsh for a spot between the sticks.

“We’ve been working with a bit of threadbare squad over the last few games, so it was important we helped out the current group by adding a few more faces,” Jennow said.

“I am really delighted Katey and Autumn have agreed to join us. They will add significant quality to the squad for our remaining games.

“I am also excited to see players who have been away from the game get back on the park. They all have quality and I am sure will be big assets for us between now and the finish.

“We have another forward who we hope to confirm over the weekend and announce on Monday.”

Motherwell assistant boss Greg Harrison says reaching the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup final has rounded off a dream start to his time at the club.

Donald Jennow brought Harrison to Fir Park following his appointment as head coach in August.

Since his arrival, the women of steel have negotiated their quarter-final tie with St Johnstone and then recorded a superb 3-1 victory over Spartans to set up a meeting with Hibs in the final at Firhill on 4 November.

“I couldn’t have written this script,” he said. “I came in after the league was already won, so the focus was set on the cup as well as breaking records as a team and individually.

“It has been a difficult run to the final, St Johnstone gave us a very tough game in Perth and then obviously we had to then beat top flight opposition in the semi final.

“I’m sure I speak on behalf of all the coaching staff when I say we are all so excited by the challenge.

“Now our task is to provide the players with as much guidance ahead of what will be a massive occasion for the football club.”

Following clinching a place in the final, Jennow and Harrison now are tasked with the responsibility of bringing the players focus back to league matters.

‘Well travel to face Glasgow Girls on Sunday, in what is their penultimate SWPL2 fixture.

Harrison insists the final two league fixtures represent a perfect opportunity for everyone in the squad to stake their claim for a place in the starting team on cup final day.

“After the game it took a wee while to sink in,” he added. “We were all absolutely delighted and it was a proud day for everyone involved with the team.

“Training on Monday was great, and the players are all really excited and working hard to prove they deserve a cup final place.

“The two remaining games are a great chance for everyone in the squad to prove their worth and will provide some opportunity to perhaps rest a few too ahead of another massive fixture.

“Personally, I’m very excited, as a player I wasn’t ever good enough to play in a Scottish Cup final, but the squad we have are more than capable and absolutely deserve the opportunity.”

Following the Spartans victory, both Jennow and influential midfielder Kerry Montgomery thanked the ‘Well support for their backing at Forthbank.

Harrison is hoping to see even more claret and amber at Firhill in just over two weeks time and has urged the fans yet to attend a women’s football match, to give the game a chance.

“What I’d say to any Motherwell fan thinking of making it along is to please do so,” said the ‘Well assistant. “I’m sure anyone coming along for the first time will be surprised by the quality on show.

“An adult can go for £5 and youngsters get in for free, it’ll be a great family occasion.

“It’s a Motherwell team in a Scottish Cup final. It’s the same badge on the kit and we will be doing everything we can to do the club proud.”

Donald Jennow was thrilled after seeing his side overcome SWPL 1 side Spartans to reach the final of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup.

Second half goals from Kerry Montgomery and Caitlin Russell earned the women of steel a 3-1 victory after Tegan Reynolds had cancelled out Megan Burns’ first half opener.

‘Well will now face holders Hibernian at Firhill on 4 November in an attempt to complete a league and cup double.

“We were massive underdogs coming into the game and Spartans were in great form too,” Jennow said. “It was going to be a massive challenge for us, but every one of our players stood up and overcame that challenge.

“I wasn’t concerned when their equaliser went in, it’s something that happens in football and you just have to show the character and resolve to deal with it.

“When we scored our third with only a little time left there was a bit of relief and we were able to see the game out from there.”

Jennow’s side will now turn their focus back to the league and their final two fixtures of what has been an incredible season.

The ‘Well gaffer is excited at what lies ahead and insists his squad are up for the challenge of coming up against the cup holders and SWPL1 tile contenders.

“We were relishing the challenge of facing Spartans and we relish the challenge even more to play Hibs in the final,” Jennow added. “It’ll be a huge game and a massive test, they are competing for the SWPL1 title and have won the cup in the last two seasons.

“They have very good players, but so do we.

“I’m delighted for the players and everyone at the club to have reached the final, it’ll be a great occasion.
“We had a great support today and hopefully we can have even more ‘Well fans along for the final in three weeks’ time.”