Grant Scott: The most important thing was to come away with the win

Celtic FC Women marked Grant Scott’s first home match in charge with a victory after running out 1-0 winners over Montrose.

In what was a dominant performance from the Hoops, they were made to wait for their only goal of the game.

But that patience paid off when Maria McAneny netted on the hour mark, in what proved to be the goal to seal all three points for the Ghirls.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the match, ultimately it was important for Scott that his side came away with the win against a stubborn opposition who have enjoyed a strong run of form in recent weeks.

He said: “First and foremost, we are just delighted to come away with the three points. We knew coming into this one, Montrose will pose a stubbornness.

“We had to be consistent in our play. We lost our way maybe a little bit in the first half, but we also created a number of opportunities there.

“That is maybe the disappointing aspect, that we have not put the game to bed a little bit earlier.

'But credit to the players for continuing the way we were playing.’

“They created more opportunities in the second half and ultimately, coming away with the win which is the most important thing.”

It was another day of landmarks for several members of the Celtic squad too at New Douglas Park.

After taking her place in the starting line-up, Maria McAneny made her 100^th appearance in the Hoops, before going on to score the only goal of the game.

And there was also two debuts for new signings Poppy Pritchard and Tara O’Hanlon, who came off the bench for the first time since signing on Friday.

Scott paid tribute to all three players as he praised them for the work they put in on both the training pitch and the outing against Montrose.

“It was brilliant to see them out there. The girls have had a whirlwind week, I’m sure,” he said.

“Arriving in Scotland, getting to train only once. But having the opportunity to get them on the pitch and have them in the squad gives us different dynamics.

“It gives us different choices to make. We can play different teams and move people around, and obviously there is a quality in the player, which is good for the group.

‘So we’re delighted to see them on the pitch.’

“The script was written for that one, wasn’t it,” Scott continued.

“Maria did well in the game, first and foremost. She’s got a number of goals now this season. Critical goals too.

“It’s all credit to her. For her to have racked up that number of appearances so young, it’s a credit to her, her work rate and the quality she offers.

“So, it was a good day for Maria!”

Fixtures

Celtic Women Vs. Montrose Women - Sun, Jan 25th 2026, 13:10 Final score: 1 - 0