Newly promoted Paisley Saints welcomed Troon Ladies to Seedhill Playing Fields for their first competitive League encounter of the 2011 season. The last time these two sides met back in ’09 it ended in a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Saints. More of the same would get the Paisley side off and running for the long season ahead.

Saints started the match pressing the Ayrshire side into their own half and creating a string of great opportunities. Roslyn McCallum sent a through ball for Laura Cheshire who raced in on goal. The striker appeared to be caught in two minds and tried to find her strike partner, Claire Sheldon, with a pass but the ball rolled harmlessly behind for a goal kick.
Cheshire then picked out Rachael Stewart with a fine defence splitting pass. Stewart took a touch before shooting for goal but her effort went high and wide. Cheshire was heavily involved in the action and when she burst down the right in 15 minutes her measured cross just eluded R. McCallum and Sheldon racing in at the far post.
Paisley were piling on the pressure, a short free kick on the left saw R. McCallum ghost past the left back and drive into the box before setting up Sheldon who forced the excellent Lauren McGregor, tending goal for Troon, into conceding a corner. The resultant corner was meet first time by R. McCallum and her right foot effort whistled over the bar. The Troon goal was leading a charmed life and it was perhaps no surprise when Siobhan Symington saw her point blank header cleared off the line and when Aileen Reilly reacted quickest to the rebound her drive forced an excellent save from, Player of the Match, L. McGregor.
L. McGregor produced another two excellent stops from R. McCallum, deflecting her shot wide and then from a Claire McGregor free kick which appeared to be creeping in at the back post prior to the keepers intervention.
Defensively Saints had been solid and this was great testament to Laura Balloch, Siobhan Symington and Emma Williams, with Fiona Duff and Claire McGregor providing the defensive screen just in front of this trio breaking up any Troon forays into the home sides territory.
A goal was on the cards and it did come but very much against the run of play as Eilish McAskill netted from close in for the Ayrshire side 5 minutes before the break. Saints failed to clear a corner and when the resultant cross came the shot caught out L. McCallum in goal their no: 9 reacted quickest as the ball cannoned off L. McCallums legs and into the path of the striker.

HALF TIME : 0  -  1

The pattern of the game was not to change as the flow of traffic was very much one way after the break and this was testament to the attitude and resolve of the Paisley side, who could have let their heads go down after putting so much effort into the first 45 minutes only to find themselves behind at the interval.
When Caryn Ferguson was dismissed for hauling down Cheshire just outside the box, after R. McCallums flick on from a goal kick, as she raced through on goal it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Saints would get the equaliser.
Saints continued to press, Cheshire picked out Sheldon at the near post, following some good work on the right flank, and the striker guided her flicked effort beyond L. McGregor and into the far corner of the net.
The home side then went in search of a winner and created a number of clear cut chances, Sheldon produced a good save from the keeper when one on one, Nicole Howie’s 18 yard drive went just wide of the upright, Serena MacLeod saw her shot from a tight angle well saved by L. McGregor and Cheshire was deemed to be offside as she collected a pass from Duff with the goal at her mercy.
Gemma Canning received her marching orders 5 minutes from time for a second bookable offence as she deliberately kicked the ball away in an effort to run down the clock.
With the very last kick of the game Symington latched onto C. McGregors corner kick, as it bobbled around the box and rifled the ball past L. McGregor and into the net but the referee had already blown his whistle, as he had deemed there had been a handball prior to Symington dispatching her effort.

Close, but no cigar for Saints however they can take a number of positives from the game which will be decisive throughout the season.

FULL TIME :  1  -  1

Squad details : Louise McCallum, Siobhan Symington, Emma Williams, Laura Balloch, Claire McGregor, Fiona Duff, Rachael Stewart, Aileen Reilly, Roslyn McCallum, Claire Sheldon (1), Laura Cheshire.

Subs : Nicole Howie, Serena MacLeod, Emma Deacon, Amy Easdon, Kirsty Turner, Gemma McElhinney.