SCHOOL OF THOUGHT Katy’s kids prove gaffer is right to turn her mind to Academy recruitment

St Mirren Women’s young guns stepped up and hit the goals trail in the squad’s first post-split match - a 7-0 hammering of Dundee West.

And star of the show at Mossedge Village on a blustery Sunday afternoon was 15-year-old Lucy Don who bagged a brace.

The teen’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by the Scottish Women’s Football League One organisers either, with Lucy being nominated as player of the week.

Also getting in on the goalscoring action was 16-year-old Leah Logan, and 18-year-old Katie McKenzie, who netted one each.

Club top-scorer Ceara Macintyre also bagged two goals to take her tally for the season up to 13, leaving her in third place in the league’s scoring charts.

Captain Karen McCabe also got in on the action to complete the scoring.

The success of the Saints’ youngsters is vindication of the wider efforts at the club this year, which has included the establishment of a full pathway from youth football to the first team, securing the longevity of the club.

Coach Kate Cooper told Express Sport: “On Sunday the wind was horrific, it was really really tough but we did really well. Dundee are an emerging team and to be fair to them they played some good football. We were just much more clinical than them, we had much more firepower upfront. And it was good to get a clean sheet.

“We continued to bed some of our under-18s in and besides Ceara and Karen who are senior players, all the goalscorers have come through our youth programme so that’s really good to see. If we can keep this talent and keep them going then it will be good for us in the coming seasons.”

Saints have four games left of this season, the first of which is an away match against Airdrie Ladies this Sunday at 1.45pm. Saints will be hoping to get a win against the side who are one position and three points above them in eighth in the table, but Cooper is wary of t h e threat the North Lanarkshire side pose. “It will be a tough game, they’re a much more physical side than Dundee,” she said.

And their task will be made more difficult by the lengthy injury list at the club.

Cooper added: “We’ve got a few injuries to contend with, it’s getting to that time in the season where we’re trying to nurse everybody through things and get them through to the end and look after them.”