Albion Women head coach Siobhan Hodgetts-Still believes her side should take the positives from their late 2-1 defeat to Halifax in the FA Women’s National League.
The Baggies put in a promising performance and despite an equaliser from Fran Orthodoxou just 10 minutes from time, they were edged out by a strike from the visitors in the dying embers of the game.
Hodgetts-Still is confident her side will build from a largely positive display in which she believes they were unfortunate to be on the wrong end of the scoreline.
She said: “I’m disappointed with the result. I thought we dominated large parts of the game, not to come away with anything is disappointing.
“In the first 10 minutes, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we didn’t start well. I thought after that, the first half was equal, it was end-to-end for both teams.
“We controlled it possession-wise, we came out second half and dominated it. For me we created three or four very good chances and they went up the other end on the counter and scored.
“That’s the most frustrating part. We’re a work in progress and in-possession, some of the patterns that came out were good.
“We need to be better in and around the final third, we have to take our chances.”
Albion could’ve seen a more successful scoreline, had it not been for Halifax goalkeeper Becky Flaherty who came up trumps between the sticks for her side.
Hodgetts-Still said: “We had three or four very good chances, we should’ve scored them. The goalkeeper’s made two great saves and that’s the most frustrating thing.
“Not to come away with anything, the girls deserved better. They grafted and really pushed on to try and get that win.
“Abi Loydon’s chance got pushed around the post, Simran [Jhamat] had a chance and the goalkeeper’s managed to get back and tip it over. We have created some good moments we were just unfortunate that we didn’t get the goal.
“I thought in the first 10 minutes we put pressure on ourselves trying to play out against their press and it cost us. That’s football, they worked hard to really stay in the game at one nil to get to half time.
“We pushed on in the second half and got the goal, I believed we’d get the second to win it. We went up the other end to counter and score, we have to live with that and go again next week.”
Hodgetts-Still’s side have a derby clash in the Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup semi-final against Wolves Women to contend with before they return to league action, a prospect the boss is excited for.
“These are the games players want to be playing. It’s a local derby, I’ve said to the girls and the staff that when the girls are on it we can back them to compete with anyone in the league.”