It was a special score-line on a momentous day for Renfrew Ladies as they welcomed back their captain from a long-term absence in stunning style.
Kristy Mcgunnigle has been waiting patiently to return to the fold having spent the last two years sidelined by a serious ACL injury.
She returned to skipper the side to an emphatic 10-0 Renfrewshire derby win at New Western Park on Sunday, with the hosts blowing away Thistle on the day.
The game started off in incredible fashion with Renfrew racing into a three-goal lead within the opening five minutes.
Goals from Karen Baillie, Nicole Telford and Sinead MacLeod set the tone for the afternoon ahead.
After the frantic start the game settled but Renfrew still enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, with Baillie striking again to put the hosts further in front.
The in-form striker wasn’t done there, as only a few minutes later she bagged a well deserved first half hat-trick, with Renfrew cruising 5-0 up at the break.
The second half didn’t start quite as quickly as the first did, in part down to the arrival of torrential rain and blustery wind that hampered any attractive football being played.
That was until a moment of magic on the wing from Jodie Bell, who crossed superbly to find MacLeod in the box who headed home to make it 6-0.
This goal seemed to lift Renfrew once more as they regained the tempo they had in the first half.
This showed when once again winger Bell again tricked her way into the box before being taken down for a penalty.
This was coolly dispatched by Baillie, who is eager to hunt down MacLeod who is currently the club’s top goalscorer.
Just shy of the 75-minute mark history was made for Renfrew Ladies when academy goalkeeper Sarah Clow came on as a substitute to make her first team debut.
This marked a huge milestone for the club, with the creation of the girl’s pathway in the past three years leading up to this point in allowing youngsters the chance to play at senior level.
The scoring wasn’t done just yet. Michaela Brown wanted in on the action and converted two back-to-back chances in quick succession to make it 9-0.
With Baillie thinking she would be taking home the match ball, she was forced to share it when Brown rounded the goalkeeper to seal her own hat-trick.
As well as Mcgunnigle’s return, Renfew Ladies boss Aldo Hunter was full of praise for young prospect Clow as she made her first team debut from the bench in the second half.
Hunter said: “It was a fantastic win.
“We asked the players to bounce back from a disappointing result last week and that’s exactly what they did.
“It was also fantastic to see Kristy Mcgunnigle back on the pitch and so long out.
“Also a big special mention to our goalkeeper Sarah Clow for making the step up to the senior level for the very first time.”
