Derby County Women were beaten on the road in their first away fixture of the
2023/24 FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division season with
a 3-2 reverse at Liverpool Feds on Sunday.
Derby were in front at the half-time break following an own goal from Yasmin Mosby’s corner.
But, after the interval, the hosts quickly turned the game around as Bethy Donoghue and Rose Kinvig-Wardale both hit the net within a few minutes of the restart to take a 2-1 lead.
Derby had a chance to level before the hour mark but summer signing Charlotte Steggles’ penalty was saved by Liverpool Feds goalkeeper Rachel Darbyshire.
Another own goal saw Derby level just after the midway point of the second half from substitute Kira Rai's cross before Katie Anderson scored what turned out to be the winner with just over ten minutes remaining to inflict back-to-back league defeats on the Ewes to start the new campaign.
“Our Off The Ball Work Has To Be Better” - Griffiths
Manager Sam Griffiths was understandably disappointed to see her side taste defeat on the road to leave them still looking for their first point of the 2023/24 campaign after two matches.
She felt that the Ewes’ play on the ball was encouraging, but admitted she was left frustrated with the way her side performed when they were out of possession.
She said: “I am frustrated. We knew what we were going to come up against and we had quite a bit of the ball, but they made it hard for us to break them down.
“In the first half we were patient and we tried to build our attacks well, but ultimately we’ve been beaten by a team that probably wanted it a bit more, ran a bit harder and worked a bit harder.
“That’s probably the most frustrating and disappointing thing. Did we create a lot for all the possession we had? Probably not. I think some of our standards and benchmarks that we’ve set are what has let us down.”
She added: “You can be the best team every week, but if you don’t win the game then it is irrelevant. You need to do something when you have the possession and take your chances when they come.
“We’ve made some mistakes at key times so far this season which have impacted us. When that happens, you’re looking for a reaction.”
The Ewes are back on the road this coming Sunday against newly promoted Stourbridge (2pm kick-off) and Griffiths is looking forward to a positive week of training with her squad.
She said: “We know we’ve got good players here and they are doing what we’re asking of them in possession, to be fair.
“It is probably just the off the ball stuff, which is the hard part of the non-negotiable part of our game, that we’re not there on right now.
“It is a shame because in pre-season we were at it off the ball, together and right on it. For some reason, in the first few games, we’ve not been and things feel like they’ve flipped a bit and we’ve been better on the ball than off of it.”
“Great To Be Back - But We Need To Improve” - Ward
Club captain Hannah Ward came off the bench in the second half of the game to get her first match minutes of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Ward admitted that while she was delighted to return to the fold, she had hoped to make her comeback in better circumstances.
As a group of players, Ward has stressed the importance of reflecting on their own individual performances as the Ewes look to offer a response when they return to league action at Stourbridge on Sunday (2pm kick-off).
“It is pleasing personally to be back out there and get some minutes but obviously it is all about the team and we’re disappointed, more than anything, with the performance,” Ward said.
“I am not too sure why, but I think they outworked us, which is not something that we should be proud of. We always pride ourselves on our work-rate and desire, which was so good last season, and we probably weren’t quite there on that.
“That is something we must reflect on personally as players, that’s not down to the coaching staff, and also the goals we’re conceding. That’s not down to tactics or formation, it is individual errors, and we need to look at that as players.”
Previewing the trip to Stourbridge, who were promoted last season, Ward concluded: “They’re a strong side and they’ve deserved to get themselves into this league with the progression they’ve made. It’ll be a physical battle and it’s something we’ve got to be up for.”
