McDonald drives Swifts to Victory

Swifts welcomed Queens Park to Perth and after last week's defeat were looking to get back to winning ways. After a sluggish start they improved throughout the game and emerged comfortable winners.

The Swifts were unusually quiet early in the game and the visitors were the more impressive team. They looked to have taken a deserved lead when a tempting cross was despatched home expertly, however the offside flag came to Swifts rescue.
Swifts were not finding their usual rhythm were hurrying in possession and this was leading to a scrappy encounter with Queens Park holding their own relatively comfortably. However after a good half hour the roof fell in on Queens with four goals in ten minutes. The deadlock was broken when McDonald beat a couple of players, drove to the byeline and her cut back was scrambled home by the alert Fox.

Within a minute the lead was doubled when McDonald again made ground down the right, passed to Fox who laid the ball back to Grossi collected the ball 25 yards out and smashed a fantastic shot over the keeper and into the top corner for her first SWPL goal. There was no let us as just before the break Foote overlapped and her cross found the opposite full back Fleming at the back post, and her cross was handled. McGinley stepped up to slot home the penalty. In added time McGinley got her second after a scramble in the box.

HT Jeanfield Swifts Ladies 4 Queens Park Ladies 0

It was a strange half-time talk for McCrindle as he was unhappy with the nature of his teams play in the first half hour but they had delivered 4 goals in an impressive last 10 minutes. The side were sent back with orders to relax more and play their normal game.
The Head Coach got the response he wanted with a much improved second half. Within minutes Fox had grabbed her second within another close range effort and their play was much improved. As the heat took its toll McCrindle mixed things up and the substitutes who were introduced added some spark and lifted the team. First Steedman, making her debut, lifted a lovely ball over the defence and invited McGinley to steal in and round the keeper for her hattrick. McGinley now had the bit between her teeth and got her fourth when Wolecki danced in off the touchline and delivered an inch perfect cross and the striker glanced a great header over the keeper from a fair distance.

McDonald was the driving force for the Swifts as they were relentless in their search for goals with no let up in the intensity. Fraser shot just over, as did McGinley and McDonald and Fox hit the keeper from close in to be denied her own hattrick. Fox then turned provider when she flew down the right wing and sent in a great early cross. Steedman had supported play well and after good first touch poked the ball home for a debut goal.

Steedman was thwarted by another good save and then linked well with Cowie and rolled a pass to McDonald on the edge of the box and the captain capped off an inspirational display with an excellent strike across the keeper and into the corner.

FT: Jeanfield Swifts Ladies 9 Queens Park Ladies 0

Coach McCrindle commented "today was the start of a huge 7 days for us as a club and a win today almost guaranteed us playing at this level again next year. Next week we play in the last 8 of the Scottish Cup for the first time so it is a big week for us. About today for 30minutes we were not at the races but that's credit to Queens Park. Once we scored we started doing all the things we are good at and we never really looked back. I thought some of the goals and build up play was great. From my point of view there was many individual performances that pleased me and now there's a real selection headache for next week game".