A Sarah Ewens hat-trick helped guide Spartans to a comfortable 0-4 win on the road against Aberdeen.

Debbi McCulloch’s side moved up to 5th place in the SWPL after a dynamic first half performance that saw the Edinburgh side take a three goal lead into the sheds at the interval.

The game, like their journey north, saw Spartans off to an early start and Sarah Ewens tested Rebecca Flaherty from the edge of the box after determined play by Alana Marshall in midfield.

Michelle Russell was Spartans saviour at the other end as she hooked the ball to safety from her own goal line after a tricky in-swinging corner almost caused havoc in the box.

Louise Mason was next to try her luck at breaking the deadlock as she cut back inside before her shot was blocked by a sea of legs.

Aberdeen were then delivered a double whammy in a period of 120 seconds courtesy of Sarah Ewens.

A powerful header by Claire Crosbie  saw Sarah Ewens collect behind the home defence and she rounded Rebecca Flaherty before sliding the ball home.

Then, just two minutes later, Crosbie turned provider once again as she latched on to a wayward throw in. Sarah Ewens still had work to do before shooting home across the face of the goal and into the bottom corner.

That deficit would’ve been halved but for a fantastic save by Eartha Cumings who showed why Pauline Hamill included the youngster in her Euro Qualifying Scotland u17s squad as she acrobatically pushed Rachael Small’s shot to safety.

Then, with 39 minutes gone, a pinpoint free-kick from Alana Marshall found the head of Claire Crosbie who headed home from close range to further extend the lead.

HT: Aberdeenf 0-3 Spartans

Crosbie came close to added another with the head, only to see her effort cleared from under the crossbar.

Aberdeen’s best chance of the afternoon fell to Hannah Stewart who blasted a Rachael Small cross over the bar from six yards.

It was almost a collectors item for Bobbie Beveridge after the substitute almost squeezed a 30 yard strike into the net.

With 13 minutes to go, the industrious Ronaigh Douglas was replaced by Ellie Simpson, giving the youngster more invaluable SWPL time.

Then, with the game deep into injury time, Nicola Mawson delivered a defence splitting pass which Sarah Ewens duly obliged by sending it into the net to record her hat-trick and make it a happy journey back to the Capital.

Spartans: Cumings, Mawson, Shepherd, Pagliarulo, Crosbie, Mason (Beveridge), Reilly, Marshall, Douglas, Russell, Ewens. Subs: (Unused) Agbemedinao, Herlet, Viollaz (GK)