COMPETITIVE women's football across Scotland returned on Sunday and West Fife's teams opened their respective campaigns on a winning note.

Due to adverse weather and the outbreak of COVID-19, the Scottish Women's Football League (SWFL) calendar was halted in March before it had really begun but it was game on again for Dunfermline Athletic Ladies and Bayside Ladies.

A third local side, Kelty Hearts, had been due to be in action in the SWFL Championship North – the same division as the Pars – but their game with Dryburgh Athletic was postponed after it was reported last week that the team had folded.

Dunfermline, however, did play and opened their season with a fine 8-1 home win over Stonehaven at the Fleet Grounds, while Bayside, competing in the SWFL North/East Division, triumphed over Leven with a 5-3 scoreline.

Athletic, coached by Murdo Steven, led 3-1 at the break against their Grampian visitors and hit the net five more times after the break, with Alanna Ross and Kristy Scott both scoring braces, while Jenny Sloan, Grace Dewar, Brodie Rigby-Wilson and Alix Moodie added their names to the scoresheet.

Captain Jenna Sexton commented: "It was a brilliant game.

"When you play teams like the team we were playing on Sunday, they're maybe not at the standard we're at, but sometimes when you play teams like that you can drop down to their standard, and it doesn't obviously work, whereas on Sunday we absolutely got our heads in the game, and continued to play right until the end. We didn't stop scoring goals; we kept going and going.

"That's what we need. Even when we make subs, we're confident in the subs that are going to come on, so when they come on and get game time, we know they're going to give us a game."

Coach Steven, who was unable to attend the match, said: "It's been a really tough 4-6 weeks of getting everyone back from smaller groups to larger groups, injuries and niggles, which was always going to happen, and it's been to key players as well. We're a compact squad and it's really tested us.

"I'm very confident of the group and the league that we're in to certainly challenge."

Bayside head coach, Ross Wortley, meanwhile is looking forward to this weekend's match with the Pars' ladies under-21s – who won their opener 2-0 at Dryburgh Athletic 21s – after their success over Leven.

A double from Ellie Aboji, added to by efforts from Kerry Walker, Louise Kane and Jodie Morris, sealed the points and, although he wasn't in attendance due to work commitments, Wortley was kept up-to-date by his coaching team.

"I think they started quite slow but I think as well they said we missed a barrowload of chances and the game should've been put to bed," he explained.

"Instead of shooting, they were passing when it was easier to score. I told them not to be selfish but they've taken it to the extreme!

"They said it did look like there was a wee bit of nerves there. There's no pressure on them (the players) but, because it's so short (the season), they're saying to themselves we need to go out and win every single game right from the off, so I think they're putting pressure on themselves.

"That's the first one out the way. I think the pressure was there and the nerves were there, but that's now the season kicked off, we've got three points, so we've just got to build on it from there."

Bayside's match with Dunfermline under-21s takes place at 2pm on Sunday the Fleet Grounds, while the Pars ladies go to Montrose for a 3pm kick-off.