Scottish Women's Football

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  1. Potter on 'huge' title decider, Rangers character & Ibrox advantagepublished at 16:36 BST 16 May

    Jo PotterImage source, SNS

    Rangers manager Jo Potter has been speaking to the media as her side prepare for a must-win title decider against Hibs on Sunday.

    Here are the main points:

    • Potter is proud of how her players have come through a challenging week and "showed real character" to get to a point where one victory stands between them and the SWPL title.

    • Even though Rangers have a Scottish Cup final on the horizon, Potter insists her side are not looking beyond Sunday's game: "We can't take our eye of what's in front of us because we know it can change very quickly."

    • Sunday's match will take place at Ibrox instead of their usual home venue of Broadwood, and the boss is hoping the stadium "can be a real advantage", adding: "If that gives us an extra two, three, four, 10%, we want to use it."

    • Rangers were 5-0 winners in the SWPL Cup final earlier this season but Potter insists Hibs "will have learned" from that game and "won't want to see that again".

    • The decider marks the third year in a row the SWPL title has gone down to the final day and Potter says it's "huge" for the competition - "there's no other league that has this drama".

  2. Scotland need Corsie's 'leadership' qualities - Andreattapublished at 16:43 BST 15 May

    Media caption,

    Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta explains the "easy" decision to recall captain Rachel Corsie after injury.

  3. McGovern 'a good fit' for Scotland - Andreattapublished at 14:43 BST 15 May

    Amy Canavan
    BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden

    Kathleen McGovernImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    McGovern has scored 25 goals for Hibs this season

    Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta believes Kathleen McGovern is "what Scotland need" after the Australian called up the Hibernian striker to the national team for the first time.

    McGovern has 25 goals for the SWPL league leaders this season and has represented Scotland at various youth levels.

    At her first news conference as Scotland boss, the Australian said she had taken in Hibs' Edinburgh derby win at Hearts and the forward caught her eye.

    "It's a combination of that [what I saw in that game] and just what I would like to do with this team," Andreatta said.

    Despite being just 22 years old, McGovern has been on the domestic scene for some time and excelled at city rivals Hearts before joining Hibs in the summer.

    After coming through the ranks at Celtic, she spent a season in Germany with SC Sand and built on her fierce finishing and superb strength.

    "I think her personality also, what you see on the field and she's a good fit for this team and what we need in this point in time," Andreatta added.

    "She's worked really hard for this opportunity and she's deserved it with those performances week in, week out and earned it."

  4. Andreatta on Corsie return, McGovern's first call up & chats with Littlepublished at 12:54 BST 15 May

    Amy Canavan
    BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

     New Scotland Women's National Team head coach Melissa Andreatta is unveiled to the media at Hampden ParkImage source, SNS

    Melissa Andreatta addressed the media after naming her first Scotland squad for the Nations League A games against Austria and the Netherlands later this month.

    Here are the key things from her news conference:

    • The head coach said it was "an easy decision" to recall captain Rachel Corsie, despite the defender not playing for Scotland since July, missing most of the season through injury and leaving Aston Villa at the weekend.

    • "True professional" Corsie is "Scotland through and through" and her relief was evident when she was given the news of her selection.

    • First-time call up Kathleen McGovern is "a good fit" for Scotland and the Hibs striker has "worked really hard for this opportunity".

    • Andreatta says their is "a hunger" within the players to represent Scotland, "get to the next level and achieve their goals".

    • The penultimate Nations League A game against Austria is "a real opportunity to show everyone what we're all about".

    • The head coach hasn't spoken to former Scotland international Kim Little, who is set to captain Arsenal in the Champions League final on 24 May but the midfielder is definitely someone she wants "to connect and speak with".

  5. Motherwell 1-2 Glasgow City: What Ross saidpublished at 12:17 BST 15 May

    Leanne RossImage source, SNS

    Glasgow City head coach Leanne Ross: "We went a goal behind but I still felt we were in control of the gam at that point.

    "I'm pleased the players were able to ground it out and got the three points we needed tonight.

    "It's still all to play for in terms of making sure we get that second spot and ensure Champions League football for next season, the players are eager to do that"

  6. Hearts 3-5 Rangers: What Potter saidpublished at 12:17 BST 15 May

    Jo PotterImage source, SNS

    Rangers manager Jo Potter: "That was our main objective at the start of the evening, to take three points and come away with a victory to take us into the last game, and that was what we have managed to do.

    "We've been put in a position now where the pressure is really on. We are in a position that we'd have prayed for a week ago, and we are finally in it.

    "It was a big three points for us to take us into this final game."

  7. Hibernian 4-2 Celtic: What they saidpublished at 12:08 BST 15 May

    Grant ScottImage source, SNS

    Hibernian head coach Grant Scott: "I thought the players were magnificent, we asked them for a good start and to show their energy.

    "I thought we managed to smother Celtic pretty well for a sustained period in that first part of the first half and got ourselves in a really good position. We've done our job tonight and taken it to the last game, which is an unbelievable achievement already.

    "Delighted that we are taking it down to the wire. We've got a lot of work to do yet, we're taking nothing for granted. We're delighted with where we are, but we want to go and try and see it off if we can.

    "These players deserve something out of this season in my opinion, and I hope they get it."

    Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: "First half not good enough, we know it.

    "Obviously, the three goals we let in are too easy, and I think the second half was much better. We are not happy with the performance.

    "It's not been good enough, we need to learn from it, and we need to grow."

  8. Have your say on Andreatta's first SWNT squad published at 11:20 BST 15 May

    Have your say

    Captain Rachel Corsie returns for Scotland for the first time since July following injury as head coach Melissa Andreatta names her first squad.

    There is also a first call up for Hibernian striker Kathleen McGovern, who has 25 goals for the Scottish Women's Premier League leaders, while Rangers captain Nicola Docherty and two club-mates - winger Brogan Hay and forward Kirsty Howat - are recalled.

    What do you make of Andreatta's first squad? Are you happy with the first-time call-ups and Corsie's return?

    Give us your thoughts here.

  9. Hibs striker McGovern named SWPL player of the monthpublished at 14:30 BST 14 May

    Hibs striker Kathleen McGovernImage source, SWPL

    Hibs forward Kathleen McGovern has won the SWPL player of the month award for the second time this season.

    The 22-year-old scored three goals during April - taking her season's tally to 26 - as league leaders Hibs went unbeaten with wins over Hearts, Rangers and Motherwell plus a stalemate with Celtic.

    Grant Scott's side currently hold a three-point lead over Rangers and Glasgow City and host Celtic in the penultimate league fixture tonight.

    Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kilmarnock forward Lucie Burns was named SWPL 2 player of the month for April.

  10. 'Why shouldn't it be us' - Hibs boss Grant on SWPL title racepublished at 22:05 BST 13 May

    Amy Canavan
    BBC Sport Scotland

    Hibernian manager Grant Scott during a Scottish Women's Premier League match between Hibernian and Rangers at Meadowbank StadiumImage source, SNS

    Two games, 180 minutes of football. That's all that stands between Hibernian and a first SWPL title in 18 years.

    Back then, Kim Little was still kicking about in the green and white. Current star striker Eilidh Adams had just turned three. Celtic and Rangers were nowhere to be seen.

    The landscape in Scottish women's football has drastically changed, but the capital club have been an ever-present. Now they're closing in on a piece of history of their own.

    It's all in Grant Scott's side's hands. Wins against Celtic and Rangers and the trophy is theirs. If only it was that easy.

    "It feels really exciting, brilliant in fact," Scott told BBC Scotland.

    "I'm incredibly proud of the players, but I'm also really scared of what could happen with all the different angles to it.

    "We're trying to keep all of our emotions in check just now. We're two 90 minutes of football away from determining where we finish.

    "That's the simplicity and beauty of the game."

    A straightforward as it sounds, Scott never envisaged a manic week in May like this one.

    "I don't want to sound too harsh on the players at this point, but I probably had different expectations from them than probably even Stewart and Joelle, who probably had a more positive outlook than I had for the team," he added.

    "But we've surpassed even their vision of where we would be, so full credit to everyone involved.

    "I think we would have bitten your hand off at the start of the season to be given this opportunity, and that's all it is at the moment. If we fall short, it would be so disappointing, but we've got every chance.

    "I keep saying to the players, 'why not? Why shouldn't it be us?'.

    "There's a lot of work to do and we've got some really difficult opponents to play, but all of the emotions right now come from where we are."

  11. Corsie retains Scotland ambition on return to fitnesspublished at 17:39 BST 13 May

    Rachel CorsieImage source, SNS

    Rachel Corsie hopes to be involved in Scotland's upcoming Women's Nations League fixtures after returning from injury at Aston Villa.

    Corsie, 35, had been national captain prior to her long-term absence, which included a period out recovering from knee surgery.

    Villa announced last week that Corsie will be leaving the club at the end of the season, but the defender got some minutes as the WSL club completed their season at home with a 3-1 win against Brighton.

    The former Glasgow City player told the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast that "there are no big plans to share" regarding her club future.

    "Short-term, I'm just going to keep up training," said Corsie. "I'll probably just certainly keep ticking over for a little while. I will take a break. My body is desperate for a break.

    "Going through a rehab for a whole year, there's been very, very, very few times I've actually had even just two days off in a row. I'm looking forward to that and just a bit of time."

    Scotland face Austria at home on 30 May, which will be new head coach Melissa Andreatta's first game in charge, followed by a trip to face the Netherlands on 3 June.

    And 154-times capped Corsie said: "I'd said last week one of my biggest ambitions was to try and be available for the national team."