Hamilton Accies Women boss: Important to recognise players' contribution with awards despite relegation

Hamilton Accies Women coach Robert Watson says it was important to recognise individual players, even if their season ended in relegation to SWPL2.

Accies might have bowed out of the top flight after four years, but players’ individual successes were honoured during an awards night at New Douglas Park on Sunday.

Player of the Year was won by defender Freya Macdonald, while midfielder Mason Blyth-Clark picked up the Players’ Player of the Year. Young Player of the Year went to goalkeeper Emma Thomson.

At under-18 level, midfielder Megan Querns won Player of the Year and fellow midfielder Shannon Morgan won Players’ Player of the Year. Continuing the trend, midfielder Nicole Harkins won the under-16 Player and Players’ Player of the Year, as did Grace Nelson at under-14 level. Merit awards were won by left-back Jessica Williamson (U14), striker Justine Strain (U16) and goalkeeper Sophia Anderson (U18).

Watson said: “Understandably it wasn’t quite a celebration, given how the season went, but I think everyone knew it was important to recognise that we still had successful points over the season and that there were good individual performances.

“Freya, Mason and Emma were all thoroughly deserving of their awards. When you look at it, we had originally planned to get Emma maybe five or eight games over the season, and they were probably going to be primarily cup games, but she went on to make 15 appearances, with Chloe Nicolson’s injury.

“Mason has come in on loan and is looking for first-team appearances, and I think she was just short of 30.

“Freya was one of our main signings across the summer and was probably our most consistent player, in my opinion over the season. She will be a big part of next season.”

Watson says