Match report: St Johnstone WFC 2-1 Livingston

St Johnstone Women signed off their SWPL 2 season with a 2-1 against Livingston at Riverside Stadium on Sunday.

Coming into the match, Livingston had the better of Saints twice this season while the last meeting back in March at the Home of the Set Fare Arena saw Saints pick up the win.

Saints dominated the early stages of play in the first 15 minutes of the half, taking the lead after just four minutes.

Jodie Malcolm powered down the right in plenty of space, opting to square the ball as she reached the edge of the penalty area to Leah Sidey who composed herself to dispatch the ball low past Rachel Pirie in the Livingston goal.

She had a perfect opportunity to get a second goal just three minutes later. She made her way with the ball to the edge of the penalty area and tried to place her shot, but Pirie was equal to it this time to deny the midfielder.

Saints had more chances to double their lead but, with half an hour gone, Livingston equalised. Erin Burns picked the ball up unmarked in midfield and, spotting Bobby Cochran slightly off her line, struck an audacious shot which saw Cochran back pedal and make a good save to force a corner.

It was from that corner the equaliser came. The ball swung to the back post where Elise McAara rose highest to head the ball home.

Sidey turned provider later in the half for Malcolm, playing her in from the left but once again the shot was saved. Saints also forced a number of corners in the half, but failed to capitalise on the opportunities.

 Saints started the second half well, getting themselves into good areas, but again the finishing just let them down.

Megan Wands had a chance that went just wide of goal, Steffi Simson couldn’t get a clean shot away and passed it back to Ellie MacIver who saw her strike stopped right on the line by Pirie.

Wands again had two good chances, first of all hitting the post, with MacIver again forcing a save with the rebound. The second one, she took the ball just inside the box and, trying to place it in the bottom corner, watched as it went agonisingly wide of goal.

With five minutes left of the 90 remaining, Howie had a chance for Saints to win it, but she couldn’t keep her shot from going over the crossbar. Neither could Lily Park of Livingston just two minutes after that.

However, in the 90th minute, Saints did secure the winner. Simson was on the left-hand corner of the box, did well to hold off a Livingston defender before passing to Malcolm who played a perfect ball through to Niamh Irvine on the right. She struck a composed finish low past Pirie to secure the three points for Saints.

 Saints: Cochran, MacIver (Gibson), Simson, Irvine, Smith (Telford), McMillan, Sidey, Malcolm (Paterson), Wands (Shepherd), Jones, Howie.