SWPL: Eva Olid reaction as Hearts secure top-six place and Spartans break into top half of table

Eva Olid says Hearts have relieved the pressure by securing their place in the top six ahead of the SWPL1 split with a 2-0 win away to Dundee United.

“That was our pre-season objective, so that is very positive, because now I feel we can relax a little because there is a little less pressure on us and that is when I feel the players play their best," said the Hearts manager.

Ciara Grant’s penalty and a neat finish from Emma Brownlie in the first half secured the victory at Gussie Park to move Hearts five points clear in fourth spot after Hibs dropped points in a 0-0 draw at home to Aberdeen.

Spartans are also up into the top six and are only three points behind Hibs after a 2-0 win away to Glasgow Women. Striker Becky Galbraith scored on her 100th appearance for the club after Caley Gibb had fired the north Edinburgh team in front.

Olid demanded a better performance from her team after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Hibs in the Edinburgh derby and was pleased with the response of her players.

“The main objective for us was to get back to our identity and play a possession game,” she said. “If we scored more it would have been better of course but the main objective was the good performance.

“The style of play we played on Sunday didn’t represent us, so we wanted a reaction in the style of play. The first half was perfect.”

Spartans turned up the pressure in the second half on a night on Coatbridge when Galbraith and Robyn McCafferty were both making their 100th appearances for he club.

Emma Brownlie scored the second goal for Hearts. Picture: Ewan Bootman / SNS

Gibb was making only her second appearance from the bench after missing most of the season through injury, but the winger smashed home from close range to break the deadlock. Louise Mason set up Galbraith to seal the three points from close range.

Elsewhere, the top three all won comfortably, scoring 15 goals between them without reply. Glasgow City remain three points clear of Celtic and seven ahead of Rangers at the top.