Marieanne Spacey-Cale hailed a mature performance after Southampton FC Women edged closer to clinching the Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division with a 6-0 victory over Warsash Wasps at AFC Totton.
Georgie Freeland’s double and goals from Ellie Chaffe, Ella Pusey, Emily Wernham and Rachel Woods secured all three points, meaning Saints will lift the title if they avoid defeat against Barton Rovers this Sunday.
And Spacey-Cale was proud of the display, which showed a mentality and togetherness that has grown throughout the campaign, as they made it a perfect 16 league wins from 16 games.
“I thought in the first-half we needed to up the pace a little bit and add a bit more energy to the game. We were quite safe on the ball whereas we are quite an attacking team so we needed to be able to find the gaps and play into those gaps quicker,” Spacey-Cale reflected.
“We gave them some information at half-time and we came out in the second-half and delivered on that information. The girls are really growing, learning and developing and I think the second-half display shows the strides we’ve made.
“It’s tough. We were going into three games this week which are Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday and they’re tough because we’re so close to the title and little slips can affect you.
“The girls’ resilience has shone through in the game on Sunday and in tonight’s game. They really believe in what they can do and believe in each other, which is important for us.
“It’s still a bit of a whirlwind that eight or nine months this group came together. I’m extremely proud of how they’ve all worked together and grown as a group.”
Saints were backed by 279 supporters on Wednesday night and with Season Ticket holders and concessions gaining free entry again on Sunday when the team can lift the trophy, Spacey-Cale hopes that continues to grow.
“The support that we’re getting here is because the fans love the club. They don’t see this as the women’s team, they see another team within the club.
“The club has given us that platform to build a fanbase and to show what we can do. The support has come in because they love Southampton and they’re passionate about the club. Now they’re watching the women’s team and hopefully they’re being entertained.”