Hibs Women 1 Partick Thistle 1

A hotly contested match at Meadowbank threatened to boil over as Hibernian and Partick Thistle battled out to a draw.

Tegan Bowie opened the scoring seconds before half-time before Thistle equalised immediately after the restart.

After a nail-biting finish to last week’s Edinburgh Derby, Grant Scott made two changes to the side that beat Hearts last weekend.

Eilidh Adams replaced Kathleen McGovern to spearhead the attack and Mya Christie came in for Abbie Ferguson on the right flank.

Both teams had opportunities in the first quarter to open the scoring, but Hibs would remain the most resolute in defence - despite some solitary moments of slack play. 

Lauren Doran-Barr was the first to have a go at goal. A long-range effort from the wing-back, in an attempt to replicate previous heroics from earlier in the season, whistled over the crossbar.

A handful more half chances fell to the Hibees, with Stacey Papadopoulos’ rifling effort blocked away by a compact Partick defence.  

The first clear-cut chance of the game fell on the half-hour mark when Linzi Taylor, nestled within a congested penalty area, managed to prod at goal from yards out. Thistle keeper Chloe Logan magnificently palmed the stabbed effort away to safety.

With the home fans in sound voice and eagerly anticipating a goal given the recent goalscoring form of the side, they were delighted to see Bowie pop up with a lethal strike right at the end of the half.

Ciara Grant laid the ball off to Bowie after a lobbed cross into the area, allowing the winger to strike low and hard into the bottom corner.

The lead would only last the length of the 15-minute interval, however, as Cara Henderson struck from outside the area to level the scoring seconds after the restart. 

Hibs continued to push and scrap all over the pitch in an effort to find another goal but were rewarded with few open opportunities. Papadopoulos’ venomous run nearly ended in a finish, but Logan gathered at the final second to remedy the danger.

A smart delivery by substitute Rachael Boyle allowed Poppy Lawson a free hit at goal, with her strike narrowly missing the mark with five minutes remaining.

With the match pendulum swinging either way, and tensions rising, Thistle would see red in the dying stages as midfielder Georgia Gray was sent off for violent conduct. The forward pushed over Siobhan Hunter before volleying the centre-back while she was still on the ground.

In the final seconds, Kirsten Reilly and Rachael Boyle both thrashed at goal with desperate efforts as the visitors clung on to hold firm and grind out a score draw.