Women's football news
Written by: Jack
Scott Booth knows that his side need to perform much better if Lewes are to get anything from Bristol City this Sunday as he speaks ahead of the game.
The Rooks suffered an uncharacteristic, heavy defeat, at the hands of Birmingham City last week and Scott reflects on the game.
“It was a tough result on Sunday, we made too many mistakes. Individual errors but as a team we didn’t turn up, it’s as simple as that.
“It was really disappointing. I felt like we prepared really well for the game and the players were 100% ready through the preparation. On the day we just didn’t turn up and didn’t put the game plan into force at all during the game.
“To be fair to Birmingham they deserved the win, they were effective and did what they needed to, to win the game. That counts for a lot in the Championship.
“But like I said, individual errors cost us. Birmingham didn’t have many chances but they capitalised. One was a deflection, the other three we defended really badly.
“We didn’t create much ourselves either. The goals were primarily individual errors but as a team we just didn’t defend in situations well enough.
“Throughout the game I thought Birmingham were sharper, stronger, quicker than us and in those transitional moments, they were able to capitalise.”
It’s been business as usual for the team in training this week as Scott prepares his team for a tough away game.
“We can play so much better and I think that was the message coming out of it really. We know as a group how much better we can be and will be looking to make that right Sunday.
“We’ve done a couple of different things in training this week, not in reaction to the result, but just to freshen it up a little bit.
“Not to make things better or different but we have a bigger squad now which allows us to freshen things up a bit.
“When you go from 12 or 13 outfield players to 16-18 outfield players, it’s a completely different thing and we’ve taken advantage of that this week.
“The players know the messages coming out the last game, they know where they need to perform better so it’s a case of taking that and using it as a set of tools that they use at the right moment.”
Bristol City had a big win midweek to send them top of the Barclays Women’s Championship and Scott is emphasising the need for the players to put things right.
“It will of course be a difficult game, it’s a journey which we have to do in a day, it’s notoriously a tough place to get a result.
“They will be on a high following their win midweek to London City, and we’re playing the form team at the top who are going well.
“All that does is make it very clear to us that we have to turn up and be present at this game. We need to work incredibly hard.
“Although it’s an away game against a tough side, I don’t think there’s a lot between any of the sides. The one thing you have to make sure of is you don’t go missing on the day, and fight for absolutely everything.”