from Tom Freeman (13/2/23)
Above: Livingston celebrate as they go 15 points clear at the top of the SWF Championship. Photo: Alex Todd / Sportpix.
SWF Championship
Livingston have extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Women’s Championship in emphatic fashion in a 10-1 victory over challengers Renfrew at the Tony Macaroni Stadium.
With Championship clubs Rossvale and Ayr United on Scottish Cup duty, all eyes turned to the late kick-off in Livingston as the home side looked to recover from dropping points in Inverness the week before and maintain momentum in their drive to SWPL promotion.
In what will be seen as a hugely significant result, the West Lothian side recorded a record scoreline for the new-look national Championship, with a hat trick from striker Ashley Elizabeth and doubles from Shannon Mulligan and Jen Dodds complemented by strikes from Brogan Anderson, Amy Hay, and Lucy Brown.
Michaela Brown scored for Renfrew in the second half, but with her side already six goals down it was never going to be more than a consolation against a Livingston side that looked fit and hungry all over the park.
The gap between them and second-placed Rossvale is now an unprecedented 15 points, albeit the Glasgow club having two games in hand.
Speaking to club media afterwards, Livingston striker Jen Dodds said: “I thought it was our best performance of the season so far, in terms of winning the ball back and pressing. I thought we were really good at creating loads of chances and scored loads of goals.
Earlier in the day Inverness Caledonian Thistle came back to defeat Hutchison Vale in Edinburgh 2-1, with goals from Betty Ross and Natalie Bodiam securing three points to put the Highlanders back up to fifth in the table.
Hutchison Vale captain Angyl Learmonth’s first-half goal looked to have turned round recent fortunes for the Edinburgh side, but Caley Thistle have rediscovered the ability to score late goals in recent games to take the points.
SWF League One
Edinburgh Caledonia recorded a second decisive victory in as many weeks to go clear in seventh and close the gap with the top half of the table, in a 5-1 defeat of BSC Glasgow.
Biffa SWFL Regional Leagues
Forfar Farmington dropped their first points of the short season in SWFL North in a 4-2 defeat to new club Inverurie Locos at Harlaw Park, while Queen of the South bested second place Kilwinning 2-0 with two early goals to extend their lead at the top of Biffa SWFL South.
Harmony Row stay top of the Biffa SWFL West after a close-fought 4-3 victory against Drumchapel United, while in the Biffa SWFL East Edinburgh South came close to holding table-toppers Central Girls but the Grangemouth side came away 2-1 winners.
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