Scottish Women's Football

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Hearts manager Eva Olid insists there's no pressure on her side in Friday night's Edinburgh derby.

After last weekend's win over Partick Thistle, Hearts have secured a fourth-place finish for the second season running.

But Olid says her side are still aiming higher as they prepare to face a Hibs side who have won two of three previous meetings this term.

“There was so much pressure on the last match as we knew it would help us a lot to finish fourth," she told club media, external.

"This time, we go without pressure, but we are still ambitious, and I want to finish as close as possible to third place.

“We can take confidence from the last match [against Hibs], but it’s a different match now.

"Hibs will be so motivated because they know the importance of finishing the season strong and winning a derby is one of the things that will help them do that."

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Hibs manager Grant Scott says his side are playing for "professional pride" in their final SWPL fixtures, starting with Friday night's Edinburgh derby.

Last weekend the Edinburgh outfit came from 2-0 down to secure a point against reigning champions Glasgow City.

And Scott is hopeful his fifth-place side can use that as motivation for the visit of rivals Hearts to Meadowbank Stadium.

"It's a strange part of the season," he told HibsTV, external.

"There's a lot of tough games. We've not got a lot to play for but there is professional pride.

"We're representing ourselves and the football club and we need to do that in all of the remaining fixtures.

"Sunday was a sign that we're not on our holidays yet and we're still fighting for points. It shows a lot about the character of the group that we were able to come back from 2-0 down against a top side."

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Motherwell striker Laura Berry has picked up the penultimate SWPL player of the month award.

Berry, who is on loan from Rangers, wins the award for the first time following her maiden nomination.

She was a key figure with three three goals as Motherwell went unbeaten in April, winning two of their three matches.

Berry takes the prize ahead of fellow nominees Murphy Agnew (Celtic), Georgia Hunter (Hearts), and Bayley Hutchison (Aberdeen).

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Celtic boss Elena Sadiku says the passion of her squad gives them the edge over Rangers.

The two Glasgow sides are joint on points in the SWPL table but Celtic's superior goal difference gives them the advantage heading into the final three games.

Sadiku, whose side host Partick Thistle on Sunday before Rangers visit Glasgow City, said: "Rangers have the better team on paper but what we have is a group of players with a big heart who are incredible people.

"When you have the heart, the mindset and technical, tactical and physical abilities it is about me as a manager to make sure that potential is shown.

"There are players in the squad that have been growing in confidence, which is what I want to do, but I can't do it without the players' heart, head and passion.

"The mindset and the heart is something I love about my players and this team."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Shannon Leishman says there's a "different buzz" in the Hibs dressing room as they prepare for the final Edinburgh derby of the season.

Hibs have won two of the three meetings so far this term but fourth-place Hearts are 11 points clear of their Edinburgh rivals in the SWPL table.

"A derby is a massive game," the defender said.

"So I think there's a different buzz about our group when you've got a derby coming up.

"Everyone's in good spirits, everyone's in good form, training's been good so we're all excited to go.

"Every derby's a difficult challenge. It doesn't matter how you've been playing or if you've had good form coming into a derby, I think it's a completely different ball game.

"Hopefully we can get a win, we're just going to go into the game and be positive."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Glasgow City don't have anything to prove, says head coach Leanne Ross, as they prepare to face title-chasing Rangers on Sunday.

Defending champions City - seven points adrift of the Old Firm with three matches remaining - are set to end the season trophyless and Ross admits it's been a difficult campaign for the club, which they will review.

"We've not had a great season," the former Scotland international said.

"That'll be reviewed internally between the staff and the players and the board, but we don't have anything to prove to anybody.

"My players always go out there and give everything. They train hard every single day that they're in here.

"They're never going on to the pitch giving me anything less than their best and it's just the fact that we've not been the best team in the league this season.

"So I don't think we've got anything to prove to anybody."

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Hearts captain Georgia Hunter has signed a contract extension to remain at the club until 2026.

The defender, who is sidelined with an ACL injury suffered against Rangers earlier this month, has been with Hearts from age 12 and led the side out at their first ever Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden last month.

Manager Eva Olid said: “It is great news that Geo has agreed to stay at the club.

"She has improved so much since my first season at the club and that is all do to with her professional mindset and hard work.

“It’s hard to believe she was an amateur player just two seasons ago. She has had a recent setback with an injury, but she is such a strong character and is ready for everything that comes her way."

Women's head of recruitment Sean Burt added: “In two seasons of the club transitioning, there has been a lot of turnover of players, but nobody has been able to take Geo’s place in the middle of the defence.

"That is a testament to her character and how much she has developed as a player."

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Hibernian captain Joelle Murray will retire from professional football at the end of this season, the club have announced.

The 37-year-old has spent her whole career with Hibs. She has made 505 clubs appearances, and has won the league twice, in addition to seven Scottish Cups and five League Cups.

Murray also won 48 Scotland caps during her illustrious career, and will now take up a role on manager Grant Scott's coaching staff.

“Joelle is – without question – an icon of the game," Scott said.

"Although her professional career on the pitch is now coming to an end, her legacy will be felt for so many years to come. She’s paved the way for so many to thrive in the future.

“Joelle has lived and breathed football for such a long time, and she leaves it in the strongest place it has ever been – a true testament to her leadership, professionalism, talent, and dedication.

“I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to work with her on two occasions now and know her name will be written into the history books as a true footballing great.”

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Glasgow City have confirmed defender Kenzie Weir ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament during Sunday's SWPL match with Hibernian.

The 20-year-old Everton loanee was substituted at half-time in the 2-2 draw before undergoing an assessment on Monday.

Weir is now scheduled to have surgery and will return to her parent club for rehabilitation.

"Weir has made a great impact to the club on and off the pitch this season," Glasgow City said in a statement.

"Everyone at the club wishes her the very best with her recovery."

A new three-year project researching ACL injury prevention is being launched in the Women's Super League.

Research suggests female footballers are two to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts.

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Leanne Crichton says she was "genuinely astonished" that Hearts’ Eva Olid did not feature in the SWPL’s manager of the year shortlist.

Rangers’ Jo Potter claimed the PFA prize, with Partick Thistle boss Brian Graham and Hibernian head coach Grant Scott the other nominees.

Crichton took exception to Scott’s inclusion over Olid, whose side have sealed fourth place in the SWPL for a second year running while progressing to the Women’s Scottish Cup final.

Olid’s Hearts have also surpassed last season’s points total with three games to spare and are currently 11 clear of Grant’s Hibs.

"I couldn’t believe Scott was included and Olid wasn’t, with her side comfortably fourth in the league and in a national cup final," ex-Scotland international Crichton said on the Behind The Goals podcast.

"I was genuinely astonished. They're 11 points better off than Hibs. If you don’t include the cup final, because the voting maybe happened before the semis, I still don’t see how she was overlooked."

Scotland captain Rachel Corsie added: "I agree, Olid had a very good year. She deserves more credit this year than last year.

"Last year they maintained a good level, to achieve that again in the second year is always going to more difficult. At very least she should’ve been nominated."

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Murron Cunningham says "squad unity" at Motherwell played a massive part in her return from a two-year injury lay-off.

The defender made her comeback from a ruptured ACL at the start of the current campaign.

“Returning from a long-term injury is something that is incredibly exciting at the start of the season,” Cunningham told club media.

“However, getting into the thick of the season, it can be difficult to adapt as quick as your team-mates who have been playing consistently the season before.

“The unity in the squad really helped me through this process. When you have a unity within a team, you all have common goals you want to achieve.

"We have set high targets for the post-split fixtures and when everyone is together and we can all equally contribute to achieve the same goals."

Motherwell are eighth in the SWPL but only three points behind Aberdeen in the fight to finish top of the bottom six.

"Retaining our place in the league with over a month till the end of the season has been a real driving factor,” Cunningham added.

"The risk of fighting to stay in this league could’ve hindered our vision to head in the right direction towards the top of the split.

“As a team, we value ourselves highly and know we can compete with the teams in the top six."

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Spartans must be "realistic" and lower their aims for next season, says Hannah Jordan.

The Edinburgh side occupy 10th in the SWPL and are all but safe as they are seven points clear of the bottom two with three games to play.

But forward Jordan insists they haven't achieved the goals they set out at the start of the campaign.

"Our aim for this season was the top six and that obviously didn't go to plan," she said.

"But we need to be realistic about it as well. Teams are getting stronger around us.

"For this season coming, there's been various discussions on whether we'd be aiming for top six again, or we'd be aiming for best of the rest, seventh.

"I think that's something that we can conclude on towards the end of the season.

"We just need to be realistic with that, given the season that we've had, it's not been a great season in terms of performances and results."

Scotland captain Rachel Corsie and former international Leanne Crichton, now a coach with Motherwell, ponder who will emerge triumphant in a close-run SWPL title race where Celtic lead Rangers by goal difference with just three fixtures remaining.

Hear from Corsie and Crichton on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

Rachel Corsie and Leanne Crichton discuss the thrilling SWPL title race, Glasgow City's fading fortunes, and whether the PFA went too early with their awards.

It's all on the latest instalment of the Behind The Goals podcast - listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds.

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Striker Natasha Flint wasn't worried about her missed chances as title-chasing Celtic claimed a vital point in a 0-0 draw with Rangers at Broadwood.

Elena Sadiku's team held on to spot thanks to their superior goal difference and are closing in on their first SWPL title.

"We started top of the league and we're finishing the game top of the league," she told Sky Sports.

"It would've been good to get the three points but it's still in our hands.

"I had a couple of chances and on other days they'd go in.

"They've not gone in the but we still got the point we needed and we're still top of the league."

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Captain Nicola Docherty says "gutted" Rangers will keep pushing until the end of the season in their bid to lift the SWPL title.

Following the goalless draw in Monday's derby at Broadwood, the Old Firm remain level on points but leaders Celtic are 13 goals better off with just three games remaining.

“I genuinely thought we were brilliant in the first half but we just couldn’t find the net," Docherty told RangersTV, external.

"We hit the crossbar on two occasions and had chances to go and win the game.

“But I feel we lost that little bit of momentum in the second half, which is the disappointing part. Look, we’ll kick on, focus on ourselves, and go right to the end.

"They didn’t cause us too many problems and we were on the front foot, so from that side we’re a bit gutted that we couldn’t find a way to win the game.

"When you represent Rangers you need to go right until the end. We’ll focus on ourselves, get back in recovering, and go again in another big game against Glasgow City."

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Rangers head coach Jo Potter: "We needed to win, a draw isn’t really good enough for us. The goal difference is essentially a point for them, which is why we knew the win was more important for us than them.

"This game probably won’t just decide the title.

"We just need to make sure we’re doing our business at our end and hope for the best at the other."

Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: “It’s a better result for us because we are still top of the league and we have the goal difference.

“This was the game that they could have felt the pressure but the players just need to remember that they have done the good [work] and we just need to keep going and trust ourselves that we can do it."