Boroughmuir Thistle looking to add to squad this month and not taking chances in the cup

Boroughmuir Thistle are looking to add to their squad this January amid concerns over inconsistency and injuries this season, but manager Suzy Shepherd insists her squad are prepared for the Scottish Cup this weekend.

The Edinburgh side have had a mixed start to the season, currently sitting sixth in SWPL2 and without a win in five. With so many players still out injured, Boroughmuir are hoping to bolster their squad this month and improve their consistency.

“We are looking to add a couple more to the squad this month”, Shepherd told the Edinburgh Evening News. “We still have quite a few players out injured, hopefully they return at the end of January. Hopefully by the end of January we will have strengthened the squad a little bit more.

“We lacked a bit of consistency the first half of the season. In 2023 we want to get a bit of consistency and get a good start. The game on Sunday in the Scottish Cup is a good chance to do that and get our name in the hat for the next round. From there we can get that bit of consistency in the league.”

Suzy Shepherd's side crashed out of the cup in the fourth round last year, as they were defeated 2-1 to Partick Thistle. Credit: Jack Dawson

Molly Orr-Love, Erin Stewart and Abby Varghese all joined for the club at the end of November, providing a boost at the end of the first half of the season. With more potential additions on the way to the club, it could prove to be an exciting time for Boroughmuir in 2023.

The capital club start their year in the Scottish Cup, facing Edinburgh Caledonia in the fourth round on Sunday at Meadowbank Stadium. The opposition are eighth in League One, the fourth division of women’s football. Shepherd is confident her team can progress if they take their chances.

“We have still been creating chances, we are just not capitalising when we create these chances,” she added. “Anything can happen in a cup. Edinburgh Caledonia play in a couple of leagues below us. No matter who we are playing you have to respect them. We know Edinburgh Caledonia have a few players that can hurt us given the opportunity. It is certainly a game we need to treat like any other and ensure we are fully focused and prepared.”