11-1 Queen's Park debut loss 'underlines SWPL gap'

Queen's Park had a difficult introduction to the SWPL against Hearts

Queen's Park joint head coach Craig Joyce says their 11-1 defeat by Heart of Midlothian on their Scottish Women's Premier League debut has underlined the need for next season's reduction of the top flight from 12 to 10 teams.

But he still believes his newly promoted part-timers can end the campaign "between six and ninth".

Joyce admits his immediate reaction on hearing the league had decided three teams would be relegated this season was "they've done us dirty with that one".

"I couldn't believe it when I heard it towards the end of last season," he told BBC Scotland's Behind The Goals podcast. "I thought 'you're having a laugh'."

SWPL1's opening weekend also included a 9-0 win for reigning champions Celtic over Dundee United, runners-up Rangers thumped Aberdeen 11-0, while 16-time champions Glasgow City dismissed Montrose 7-0 to emphasise the gap between the richer clubs and the rest.

Joyce said "I already understood it", but those results "kind of underlined that a bit more because the gap's getting bigger".

Celtic and Rangers have started to challenge, even overtake, the previously dominant City after going full-time, while other Scottish Premiership clubs, like Hearts and Hibs, have also started to invest more in their women's squads.

"Our investment is a drop in the ocean," Joyce said. "Everybody looks at Queen's Park and thinks they are throwing millions at it, but I can tell you now, they are not.

"We won the league without a budget last season."

Joyce insisted there is room for some optimism despite their thrashing by Hearts, pointing out that they were competitive at 2-1 down until two late goals before the break.

"Everybody was realistic in terms of what we were coming up against," he said.

"I watched a lot of Hearts from last season. They're a different team from last season. They're quicker, they're more mobile, they've got more energy.

"There's no point in being down and doom and gloom about it and no point making any excuses. It's just a steep, steep learning curve for a young, young team."

Queen's Park started their pre-season preparations "two weeks before everybody else", but Joyce realises the full-time clubs still have a big advantage.

"It's just the warm weather camps," he said. "We are in at Loch Insh getting attacked by the midgies and everything that goes with it and people are away in Spain and stuff.

"I think we get four and half hours, five and a half hours a week with the players, which in the grand scheme of things isn't enough.

"Some of the teams, that's probably a day for them in pre-season with double sessions and a lunch in between.

"Success for us is probably finishing between sixth and ninth, you want to land in there. We know it's going to be difficult."