Southampton manager Marieanne Spacey-Cale said that this afternoon’s goalless draw at Durham provided her side with more learnings and that positives could be taken from the game.
It was a game of very few quality goalscoring opportunities in the North East. Southampton were solid throughout but they didn’t really provide any kind of attacking threat until the final quarter of the contest.
When speaking to FAWSL Full-Time after the match, Southampton boss Spacey-Cale said that she was expecting a challenge from Durham and that her side can learn from the experience of playing at Maiden Castle.
“We knew that it was going to be a hard challenge this game, not many teams come here and keep clean sheets and take points away so we are delighted that we have,” Spacey-Cale said.
“It wasn’t a game of outstanding goalscoring opportunities or chances but you can’t take anything away from the commitment and resilience that both teams have shown in this game.
“For us, it’s another step of our learning for what this league is about because this is a different challenge to a lot of the other teams that we play. I’m pleased that we have kept a clean sheet and come away with a point.”
Southampton have now failed to score in their last four matches in all competitions. Spacey-Cale went on to say that the solution to The Saints’ goalscoring woes is putting in quality work on the training ground.
She said “You’ve got to give credit to teams like Durham today, they minimised our chances and I think we minimised their chances as well. It is just about having that little moment when there’s a good chance that you are ready to just snap up a bouncing ball in the box or whatever it may be.
“It’s work that you can do on the training pitch, it’s work that you can do with the players around you and yes, the transfer window is still open but you’ve just got to make sure that the work that you do with the players that we have got is the quality that they need to keep performing.”
Southampton are back in action on Sunday 5 February when Crystal Palace are the visitors to St Mary’s Stadium for a Barclays Women’s Championship fixture.
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