Women's side make history with first fixture at Global Energy Stadium

By Peter Mackay

Ross County Women 2-3 Bonnyrigg Rose Women – Scottish Cup Second-Round Tie

Goalscorers: Abi Coltherd 42’, Keira Syrjanen 58’. Caitlin Lowe 21’, 73’, Gabby Anderson 15’.

Player of the match: Keria Syrjanen.

Attendance: 600.

Bonnyrigg Rose progressed to the next round of the Scottish Cup as Ross County played their first-ever competitive match at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall in front of a record crowd of over 600 fans.

Bonnyrigg used their early grasp of the game to go two nil up inside 25 minutes, with goals from Gabby Anderson and Caitlin Lowe proving costly for the home side.

Abi Coltherd pulled one back before half-time with a powerful hit into the top left corner, before player of the match Keira Syrjanen hit a rocket to draw County level.

The visitors had experience in their ranks, and it showed as they grabbed a winner through Caitlin Lowe.

Bonnyrigg started the game strong with an early corner. It was a good delivery, narrowly headed over by Charlotte MacDougall.

Moments later a chance fell on the edge, but it was sliced wide by the Rose forward.

As Ross County tried to build out from the back the ball fell to a Bonnyrigg attacker – but County stopper Amy Marshall made a great save to keep the Staggies level.

County left-back Chloe McAllister sent a great ball into the box, but no County attacker was able to get onto the end of it.

Bonnyrigg were pushing for an opener and flung a corner into the box. County’s number seven Keira Syrjanen got a head on it, but it smacked off her own post before it was cleared, giving the County backline a scare.

Bonnyrigg eventually got their reward on the 17th minute, as Gabby Anderson shot from outside the area. The looping strike caught out Amy Marshall in goals and unfortunately dropped over her and into the back of the net.

The visitors doubled their advantage in quick succession after a loose pass in the County defence. The ball fell kindly on the edge of the box and Caitlin Lowe curled a great finish into the bottom left to put Rose in a comfortable position.

However, on a historic day for the team, County used the crowd behind them and never stopped pushing for a way back into the tie.

Keira Sryjanen slipped a wonderful pass through the defence to Abi Coltherd, she got a strike away but it was well held by the Bonnyrigg stopper.

Just before half-time, the home side Ross County got right back into the match in the 42^nd minute with a wonderful goal. Keira Syrjanan, in carbon copy fashion to their last opportunity, slipped a great pass down the left-hand side. Pacey winger Abi Coltherd got onto the ball and drove into the box past the full-back. She smashed the ball home past the keeper into the top left-hand corner to bring us closer to the visitors. That goal meant the deficit was reduced to just one goal heading into the break.

County had the first chance of the second half as Keira Sryjanen fired a shot towards goal, however it rose above the crossbar and sailed over.

Gabby Anderson nearly added another screamer to her collection as she fired toward the goal from around thirty yards out. Her shot cannoned off the crossbar and bounced over.

Ross County rocketed their way back into the match with a spectacular strike from number seven Keira Syrjanen. She fired a shot from outside the box which flew into the top left corner – a goal-of-the-season contender. Her celebration matched the goal with a wonderful backflip in front of the home fans.

The match was so tightly poised at this point, as Ross County, who had 15 sixteen-year-olds in their ranks, matched the Barclays SWF League One second-placed side all the way.

However, experience shone through on the day as Bonnyrigg retook the lead in the 70^th minute with a deep cross into the box which bounced off a couple of players before Caitlin Lowe toe-poked it beyond the keeper to claim her second and made it 3-2.

As the game came to a close, Bonnyrigg sat deeper and County pushed on – however County were unable to get back into the match and the game finished 3-2.

Despite losing out on the day, Iain Maciver’s Staggies certainly put on an entertaining display in front of 600 supporters.

A historic day for the club, and the women's side now has hopes of pushing on to compete for the North Regional League title.