Aston Villa head coach Carla Ward praised her side’s defensive display following Sunday’s goalless draw with third-placed Manchester United at The Banks’s Stadium in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
The Red Devils had no shortage of opportunities but Ward’s side put their bodies on the line time after time to ensure they came away with a share of the spoils.
Speaking to FAWSL Full-Time in her post-match press conference, Ward remarked, “I think we defended well as an entire unit. The message before the game was for them to give me everything, to run through brick walls for each other more than they usually do and make sure we are compact, that we are tight and that we look after each other and they did exactly that.”
One member of the Villa back-line that played a crucial role in the performance was Anita Asante, who yesterday announced her retirement from professional football after a 19-year career at the highest level. On Sunday, Asante produced a performance of the highest calibre, making countless last-ditch blocks to keep her side in the game. Ward was quick to praise the 37-year-old who has been a stalwart at the back for Villa all season. She said “Neetz and [Rachel] Corsie have honestly been Rolls Royce, they are different class and Neetz today, some of her defending was unbelievable.
“I actually sat down with Neetz a few weeks ago and asked her if this is possibly the best form she’s been in and I actually think so right now.”
The result was all the more impressive given the fact that Villa were missing their number one keeper, England international Hannah Hampton, through injury. She was replaced by Sian Rogers whose stellar performance undoubtedly played a vital role in keeping United at bay, an impressive feat in her first league start for 596 days.
Rogers marked the day with a clean sheet, saving 100% of her shots faced in a confident, commanding display that delighted her manager.
“She was brilliant and I said that to her after the game,” said Ward. “She deserves a lot of credit because it’s two years since her last WSL game and she was absolutely outstanding so credit to her.”
On multiple occasions this season, Ward has felt that her side have not always got the points they have deserved from games with close battles against the likes of Chelsea, Spurs and West Ham United. However, on this occasion, Ward was certainly satisfied was the result, commenting “At half-time, we weren’t happy with the first half performance if I’m honest. We wanted to step it up and get on the ball more and I think we did that in the second half so I think that point is fully deserved. If we had got all three points, I don’t think that would’ve been undeserved either.”
In an up and down season for The Villans, this point marks their third game without a loss, a run that should provide some momentum going into the final two games of the season. However, Ward insists she does not focus on such statistics, saying “As cliché as it sounds, we look at each performance and each game as it comes and I think we have done that today, we’ve done brilliantly with that.
“Credit to my players today they, were absolutely outstanding, every single one of them, those that came off as well, because they have competed with a team that are going for Champions League, an unbelievable Man United side by the way so it shows just how far we have come.”
Aston Villa are in action again on Sunday when they travel to Arsenal in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.