St Johnstone Women returned from Edinburgh on Sunday with a well-deserved point following a 1-1 draw against a league-leading Boroughmuir Thistle, who were yet to drop a point this season.
The bright yellow Saints away kit and the fluorescent orange strip of goalkeeper Megan Sidey provided some bright colour at a murky Meadowbank until the floodlights flickered into life.
The fact they were required to do so at quarter past one on a late September afternoon tells its own story. The dark skies produced torrential rain which left the track around the pitch waterlogged.
It was a match played out by two evenly-matched sides and largely between the penalty areas with neither goalkeeper too greatly troubled.
For the hosts, Cerys Grieve flashed a header wide from an early corner while Adian Ibrahim’s long run down the left after 13 minutes ended with a tame effort easily held by Sidey.
Saints’ early pressure resulted in a couple corners, while great vision from Juliana Bennett Luna saw her play a great through ball to Jodie Malcolm but Beth Rennie was even quicker off her line to gather at the edge of the area.
Rennie was nearly caught out after 20 minutes when Alix Moodie tried an audacious lob from all of 45 yards. The Thistle keeper was at full stretch on her goal line to stop the ball dipping under the cross bar.
Fiona Gibson fired wide from the back post and a comfortable save for Rennie from a Malcolm strike were the only other notable chances of the half.
The rain eased in the second half, but the pattern of play remained much the same. The first chance came just after the hour mark when Ria McCafferty went just wide following a powerful run from midfield. Holly Aitchison also went wide with a curling effort from 20 yards.
She would put Boroughmuir ahead from 12 yards after Saints conceded a 73rd minute penalty. Stepping up, she placed the ball beyond Sidey into the bottom right corner.
Their lead was a short one, lasting four minutes. Left back Emily Tomb picked up the ball for Saints on the half way line, striding forward unopposed she passed the ball out left at the edge of the area to Emily Shanks.
Without the need for a touch, Shanks struck first time with the inside of her left boot, the ball rising over Rennie and landing just inside the far post.
Both sides remained evenly matched to each other, the respective defences seeing out any breaks forward. The last meaningful chance a couple minutes from time saw Elvie McLean’s effort from a tight angle at the edge of the six yard area blocked for a corner.
Saints return to the Community Arena next Sunday when they welcome Queen’s Park with a 4pm kick off.
Saints: Sidey, MacIver, McLean, Malcolm, Bennett Luna (Shanks), Irvine, Moodie (S.Brady), Livie (Rigby-Wilson), McMillan, D.Smith, Tomb
Subs not used. Telford, K.Brady, Taplin, R.Smith, Gates, Parrish.
