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The women of steel sealed a commanding fifth consecutive victory over Hamilton in the second Lanarkshire derby of the campaign, with a resilient second-half resurgence at New Douglas Park on Sunday.

Despite a dominant first-half display, Motherwell’s assurance failed to translate to the scoresheet, with the hosts holding firmly to a goalless stalemate at the break.

Striker Carla Boyce, who assisted twice in the previous meeting, dispatched two clinical finishes to secure the women of steel’s first victory on the road this season.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made one change from the side that were held by Montrose to a point a fortnight ago. Defender Chelsie Watson replacing Jo Addie in the Motherwell backline, with the experienced centre-half partnering Scotland under-19 international Lily Boyce.

With the knowledge that victory would propel the women of steel back into the top-six, Motherwell started firmly on the front foot, carefully playing their way through to the final third.

Bailley Collins noted the first opportunity on goal, cutting favourably onto her right-foot before drilling a low delivery across the face of goal, but goalkeeper Erin Halliday reacted sharply to deny Boyce in the penalty area.

Motherwell continued to threaten, with efforts from Lucy Ronald and Katie Rice troubling the hosts, but Brownlie’s side couldn’t find the breakthrough before the break.

As the second-half resumed, Motherwell’s dominance in possession became more reflective, with several opportunities on goal. Seven-minutes after the restart, Motherwell finally broke the deadlock.

A well-worked counter-attack left Collins to advance down the right-flank before whipping a threatening delivery across the face of goal, and Boyce narrowly overcame Halliday in a race to the ball, clipping a delicate finish over the young shot-stopper.

10-minutes later, Boyce had her second. Amy Bulloch’s floated set-piece delivery sailed invitingly into the patch of Boyce, who towered over her marker before bulleting a low header past Halliday.

Motherwell comfortably held out their two-goal advantage to secure their first three-points on the road this season. A result that moves Paul Brownlie’s side back into the top-six, one-point clear of Montrose.

Matchday 11 of the 2025/26 SWPL campaign awaits the women of steel this weekend, as they return to South Lanarkshire to face Hamilton Accies in the second Lanarkshire derby of the season on Sunday.

Refreshed during their fortnight break from competitive action, the women of steel return this weekend, with derby day in their sights when they travel across the River Clyde to face Hamilton.

Motherwell will be keen to replicate their emphatic display of their home meeting against Hamilton earlier this season, with Paul Brownlie’s side emerging with a comfortable 4-1 victory.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Head Coach Paul Brownlie will be keen to sign off his time at Motherwell with victory in his final Lanarkshire derby. The experienced coach will depart the club later next month after three successive years at the helm.

The women of steel return to action for the first-time since their closely-fought 1-1 stalemate with Montrose at Links Park. The women of steel broke the deadlock in the latter stages of the first-half through Bailley Collins, but couldn’t sustain their advantage, as Montrose netted a second-half equaliser.

Full focus will be on kickstarting Motherwell’s away form, as the women of steel have yet to secure their first victory on the road. Victory would propel the women of steel back into the top-six if results elsewhere remain favourable.

Hamilton

The SWPL2 champions have struggled to adapt to the Scottish top-flight, yet to receive their first point after their opening 10-league games. The Accies have scored twice across that spell whilst conceding 40-goals.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at New Douglas Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted. Enter via gate 4.

• Adult – £10
• Concession – £6
• Under-16 – £3.

Kick-off from New Douglas Park at 2PM.

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.”

Paul Brownlie will vacate his role as Head of Girls and Women’s at the club to take up a new position elsewhere. 

Arriving in the summer of 2021, Brownlie has built up a strong foundation within the women’s setup at Motherwell. Building our first-ever Girls Academy that has allowed numerous young players to make their debuts in the Scottish top-flight, he has also steered our first-team side to a string of various successes over the last four years.

“This has been a really difficult decision,” Paul Brownlie stated.

“It’s hard to close this chapter of my life, as I’ve loved my time here and met some great people along the way, and we have had some proud moments. When I reflect on what we’ve achieved here in the last four years, I feel a sense of pride.

Establishing the Academy and producing and developing young players has always been a huge part of my coaching philosophy.

“The girls in the first-team have been a joy to work with. Not just those in the team currently, but all the players and coaches who have moved on during my spell at the club. I thank each and every one of them for their dedication and enthusiasm. So many people behind-the-scenes volunteer so much of their time to make things possible; I would have been lost without them.

“We have managed to put in place a strong structure that will continue to flourish. The women’s game continues to grow here in Scotland, and I look forward and hope this team continues to have success.”

Motherwell became the first women’s side to play at Hampden Park in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Rangers in 2023, before guiding the women of steel back to Hampden for the second occasion last season.

In the league, Brownlie and his side secured a maiden top-six finish in the SWPL last campaign, an unprecedented achievement for the team.

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Paul since I arrived at the club,” Chief Executive Brian Caldwell said.

“He has dedicated so much time to improving the structure and success of our women’s team and girls’ academy. I am extremely grateful for his efforts, which have seen the team enjoy so many moments of success over the past four years.

“Everyone at Motherwell wishes Paul the very best in this next chapter of his career and we thank him sincerely for all his hard work here at Motherwell.”

Brownlie will remain at the club in his role until December. The club will now begin the recruitment process to replace Paul and will update in due course.

It proved to be a disappointing afternoon on the North-East coast, with hosts Montrose compounding Motherwell’s frustrations on the road, holding the women of steel to a two-goal stalemate at Links Park.

Bailley Collins broke the deadlock in the latter stages of the first-half, drilling home a low strike past Rachael Perry, but former Motherwell striker Kaela McDonald-Nguah responded in the second-half, rattling the Motherwell crossbar with an unstoppable finish that ricocheted kindly into the roof of the net.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made two changes from the side that were defeated by defending champions Hibernian at K-Park a fortnight ago.

Defender Katie Rice returned to the Motherwell starting XI, with Tegan Browning settling for a place amongst the substitutes alongside Hannah Cairns, making way for striker Carla Boyce who led the line.

The women of steel capitalised moments before half-time, with Carla Boyce driving across the right flank before drilling a low delivery across the face of goal, and Bailley Collins was on hand to prod home the opener from close-range.

Motherwell hoped the opening goal would rejuvenate their frustrating first-half display, but the hosts relented, and equalised minutes into the second-half. Countering with pace, Montrose pressed high into the Motherwell half, with the ball falling kindly to McDonald-Nguah at the edge of the penalty area, and the striker made no mistake, lashing home a powerful strike off the underside of the crossbar before nestling into the roof of the Motherwell net.

Both sides pushed for the decisive winner in the final stages of the game, with Motherwell turning to Kodie Hay and Hannah Cairns on the bench, but neither side could find the eventual breakthrough.

The women of steel will return to action in a fortnight’s time when they travel across Lanarkshire to face local rivals Hamilton at New Douglas Park.

Matchday 10 of the 2025/26 SWPL campaign awaits the women of steel this weekend, as they travel through the M90 towards the North-East coast when they face Montrose at Links Park on Sunday.

The women of steel will have their eyes set on redemption after enduring three back-to-back defeats to both Hibernian and Celtic. Motherwell sit eighth in the SWPL table, two points shy of the Gable Endies in sixth.

Motherwell will be keen to right the wrongs of their home meeting against Montrose earlier this season, with the visitors leaving K-Park with a comfortable 4-1 victory.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

A five-nil defeat to the defending champions a fortnight ago would’ve certainly frustrated Motherwell, who certainly showcased a stronger performance than displayed in recent weeks, but five consecutive set-piece goals left the women of steel with much to reflect on, as they return to competitive action this weekend.

Motherwell will be keen to separate themselves from the sides sitting towards the bottom of the league. Paul Brownlie’s side could move 10-points clear of Hamilton at the foot of the Premier League table if they secure victory at Links Park.

Full focus will be on kickstarting Motherwell’s away form, as the women of steel have yet to pick up a point on the road after defeats to Glasgow City, Rangers and Hearts. Victory would propel the women of steel back into the top-six if results elsewhere remain favourable.

Montrose

The hosts lead Motherwell by two-points in the final top-six place, earning victories in three of their nine SWPL ties this season. Montrose returned to winning ways a fortnight ago, defeating Partick Thistle two-nil at Petershill Park.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time HERE or through the matchday turnstiles at Links Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.

• Adult – £12.
• Under-16 – £6.

The woes of Motherwell’s disappointing Sky Sports league Cup exit have persisted in recent weeks, as title-chasers Celtic compounded a frustrating start to the 2025/26 campaign, comprehensively overpowering the women of steel at New Douglas Park a fortnight ago. 

Defending SWPL champions Hibernian racked up nine goals in the Scottish capital to seal a second-round Sky Sports League Cup exit before title-chasers Celtic comfortably swept the women of steel aside to seal a commanding 7-1 victory in ML3, with former Motherwell talisman Morgan Cross netting twice to epitomise Motherwell’s frustrations in recent weeks. The Edinburgh side replicated their successes in the Premier League the following weekend, capitalising on Motherwell’s set-piece frailties – netting five in similar circumstances despite an encouraging display from the hosts.

Consistency has been the prevailing factor in Motherwell’s recent struggles, with the women of steel’s exceptional home form failing to translate on the road. Prior to last weekend, Motherwell remained unbeaten in their last three at K-Park, defeating local rivals Hamilton in the first Lanarkshire derby before achieving victory over Aberdeen. A 1-1 stalemate with Partick Thistle continued to maintain Motherwell’s recent unbeaten record in East Kilbride.

However, the fixture list has proved to be unforgiving, with Motherwell facing all five full-time teams away from home in the opening few months. Despite some encouraging performances, the women of steel have yet to pick up a point on the road, scoring twice. Midfielder Mason Clark remains confident that the squad can overturn their recent disappointments.

“It has been a frustrating couple of weeks,” Clark acknowledged.

“It’s never nice to lose football games especially with the amount of goals we have conceded.

“We haven’t come anywhere near the standards Paul, the staff or we as players expect from ourselves, but we are back at training with a fresh mindset and we know what we are capable of as a team.

“We have a really close bond within the dressing room, and we have seen elements of what we’ve tried to implement this season, but collectively we haven’t showcased the ability we have as a group.

“Exiting the Sky Sports Cup, especially in the manner we did was incredibly disappointing as a squad to accept. We had an honest conversation as a team after the game, and we knew we had to quickly put that result aside and start to build our confidence back.

“Despite the scoreline, the Celtic game had positives for us to take. We were a few minutes from heading into half-time with a one-goal deficit and putting ourselves in a strong position to respond in the second half, but suddenly Celtic put the game beyond us.

“It was important for us to review the game and move on with a fresh mindset and not dwell too much on the recent run of form.”

Motherwell have an opportunity to recover, and regain their composure this weekend, with the international break providing the ideal opportunity t0 rebuild their confidence ahead of a tough set of fixtures.

“We are all motivated to respond,” Clark added.

“We were all disappointed, frustrated, and angry at the recent results, as we didn’t give a fair reflection and account of ourselves.

“Hibs were the defeated finalists last season, and are the defending SWPL champions, so it’ll never be an easy task, especially as a part-time side, but we gave everything we could.

“Everyone is hungry for more and the training has been very energetic. The team are fuelled to go and get back in action as soon as possible and earn a result which reflects our ability.”

The women of steel will return to action in a fortnight’s time, heading up the M90 to the North-East coast when they face Montrose at Links Park on Sunday. A venue that has proven unpredictable for Motherwell in recent years, with Paul Brownlie’s side receiving a defeat and two one-goal stalemates before an assured four-nil victory in January.

“Montrose can always be a difficult venue for visiting teams,” Clark explained.

“They built a really strong foundation at home in the post-split last season, with five straight victories, so we recognise the challenge, but we achieved a really positive result last season, and we feel we have the ability to replicate our performance from that game.

“We have an opportunity to respond, and I can’t wait to see you all there.”

Matchday nine of the 2025/26 SWPL campaign awaits the women of steel this weekend, as they return to South Lanarkshire to face defending SWPL champions Hibernian at K-Park. 

The women of steel will be firmly focused on mounting the desired response against Hibernian after enduring a heavy defeat to Hibernian in the second round of the Sky Sports Cup almost a fortnight ago.

Motherwell remain sixth in the SWPL table, cut nine-points adrift from the top-five, whilst remaining level on points with Aberdeen in seventh.

The Tale of the Tape 

Motherwell 

Last weekends disappointing 7-1 defeat to Celtic failed to dispel the building frustrations amongst the squad after leaving the Scottish capital with a 9-0 defeat the previous weekend.

The women of steel have had much to reflect on over the past week, as they prepare to return to competitive action this weekend, with the squad nearing full strength, as Lily Boyce, Orla Burn, and Julia Gorska return from international duty with the Scotland under-17 squad. 

Motherwell will be keen to separate themselves from the sides sitting towards the bottom of the league, and re-establish their foothold in the final place of the top-six. Paul Brownlie’s side could move three-points clear of Aberdeen, and 10-points clear of Hamilton at the bottom of the SWPL table if they can secure their first victory over Hibernian since a 2-3 victory away at Meadowbank in 2023.

Hibernian

The Hibees have continued their quest to restore their SWPL crown, defeating title-rivals Rangers at Meadowbank last weekend to continue their five-game unbeaten run. They head to K-Park, with victory in their sights to close down their five-point gap to Glasgow City at the top of the SWPL table.

Ticket Information 

Tickets can be purchased through the matchday turnstiles at K-Park. Both cash and card payments are accepted.

• Adult – £10.
• Concession (Over-65s and Under-17s) – £5.
• Under-11 – FREE TO ENTER.

Additional Information – no pets allowed within K-Park.

Matchday Travel 

• Sunday 19th September 2025, kick off 4PM. 
• The Ross Commercial Finance Stadium at K-Park, Calderglen Country Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QZ.
• First Glasgow service No.21 stops at Jura Slip Road, a 10 minute walk from the stadium. East Kilbride railway station is approx. 20 mins away on foot.
• Free on-site parking is available, with overflow parking signposted at the park entrance. Please follow the one-way system upon your exit.
• Selection of hot food, baking, confectionary and both hot and cold drinks available at the kiosk before and during the match.
• Follow our live matchday coverage on the Motherwell Women X (formerly Twitter) account.

We have entered a new partnership with Phoenix Specialist Solutions.

The brand will feature on the back of the Women’s first-team home and away shirts for a minimum of two years.

Phoenix Specialist Solutions is a local company who specialises in street lighting, road marking and traffic signs and were previously the back of shirt sponsor for
the first team.

“We are delighted to support the Women’s team and the women’s game by becoming their new back of shirt sponsor,” Managing Director, David Clark commented. 

“I wish Paul and the team the very best of luck this season.”

“We are delighted to welcome Phoenix Specialist Solutions to the women’s team partnership portfolio and thank David for his continued support of the club,” Suzanne Reid, Commercial Director at Motherwell FC added.

“Through this agreement and other partnerships, we have surpassed the club’s commercial revenue figure to date for the Women’s team.”

“It is wonderful to continue our association with David and another local business that are truly invested in the club’s long-term success, and I very much look forward to working with them again.

Motherwell’s league Cup woes persisted in South Lanarkshire, as title-chasers Celtic comprehensively overpowered the women of steel in an afternoon to forget at New Douglas Park. 

Celtic comfortably swept the women of steel aside to seal a commanding 7-1 victory in Ml3, with former Motherwell talisman Morgan Cross netting twice alongside teammate Saoirse Noonan who completed a brace. Emma Lawton, Kelly Clark and Maria McAneny added to the tally to compound Motherwell’s recent frustrations.

Head Coach Paul Brownlie made a few changes from the side from the side that were knocked out of the Sky Sports League Cup last weekend. Rebecca Cameron maintained her place in goal, while experienced defender Shannon Leishman returned to the starting line-up alongside Amy Bulloch and Lucy Ronald who partnered in the midfield. Academy graduate Hannah Cairns made her first league start whilst fellow youth prospects Teoni Steele, Lia Young and Lily McAvoy were named on the bench.

Celtic’s high-intensity press immediately put the Motherwell defence under pressure in the early stages. Cameron was called into action twice in the opening 15 minutes, making a series of key saves to maintain Motherwell’s foothold in the game. Motherwell tried to find their rhythm, but Celtic’s intensity persisted.

The opener came in the 26th minute, as Cross capitalised on the high defensive line, sneaking through into the Motherwell final third before rounding the goalkeeper, and slotting home from close-range. Cameron pulled off another strong save to maintain the scorelinee, but Celtic soon doubled their advantage through Saoirse Noonan. A whipped corner across the face of goal was pounced on by Lawton, whose glancing header ricocheted off the crossbar before falling to the feet of Noonan, who drilled home the second.

Just before half-time, Emma Lawton added a third in almost identical circumstances, ensuring an assured 3–0 lead at the break.

Motherwell came out after the restart looking for a response, and got a glimmer of hope just after the hour mark. A low ball into the box was inadvertently turned into her own net by Claire Walsh, citing Motherwell a potential lifeline.

Motherwell’s optimism proved to be short-lived, as Celtic kept their foot on the gas and added four more goals before the final whistle, rounding off a clinical performance.

Despite the scoreline, there were certainly positives to take for Motherwell, who will have to dust themselves down, and reflect on a disappointing afternoon in Hamilton.

Motherwell must focus on regrouping ahead of next weekend, as the challenges don’t come any easier, as they face defending champions Hibernian in front of the home crowd at K-Park.