Siobhan Hodgetts-Still admits Sunday’s goalless draw with Middlesbrough was a “deserved” result for both teams.
Both sides carved out opportunities of their own, but were unable to convert any, leaving them with an unchanged league position. The Baggies finished 6th in the FAWNL Northern Premier on the final day.
In what was the final game before the boss goes on maternity leave in July, Hodgetts-Still was keen to stress the “foundations” the club has to “build on” ahead of the 2026/27 season.
She said: “We’re frustrated not to have got the win today. It was a deserved point for both teams, from my perspective.
“Even though it was a 0-0, it was a good game to watch - it was end-to-end. Both teams defended their boxes really well, and we’re disappointed not to have got all three points though.
“Performance-wise, we asked the players to be better than their performance against Derby a few weeks ago. We know we weren’t where we should've been in that game, we asked them to improve on that today.
“We wanted to make sure they put in a shift and they did that. We’re unlucky that the goals didn’t come for us today, because we felt we could’ve scored.
“Their ‘keeper’s pulled off a couple of really good saves. Some better in-possession quality in the final third, we could’ve had a couple on a different day.
“Credit to the girls, though, they stood firm and defended their box brilliantly amidst some good opportunities for Middlesbrough. Charlotte Clarke’s also pulled off a great stop to keep us in the game.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support on social media, we didn’t expect it but it’s been very welcoming. It was emotional there at the end with it being the last game and going off for six months, it was going to be a hard moment.
“I’ll surely be very busy instead. We’ve set good foundations and we want to keep building on that and pushing for next season.
“I’ll keep in contact and still be around. I wish the new person who comes in all the best, because I want this club to keep pushing higher and higher.”
Defender Hannah George was pleased to make her first start since coming back from injury, and enjoyed the “battle” in Stockton-on-Tees.
She said: “We knew it was going to be a battle, like the game we played against them at home. It was the same again today, and I thought we played very well, especially in the first half.
“We created some good chances, but it wasn’t meant to be. A draw was a fair result today.
“It’s been a tough time, and there’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to try and get back out there. It’s all down to the staff as well. I appreciate their hard work to get me out on the pitch.
“Those kinds of games are a bit of me, so I really enjoyed it. I think we stuck at it and really battled today.
“I’m really pleased with the girls for the season we’ve had. We’ve been more consistent, and we can still improve on that next season.”
