Aston Villa head coach Carla Ward is full of admiration and respect for what latest opponents Reading have achieved during their time in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Reading have struggled in the early part of this season but they have largely been consistent during their time as a top flight club.
Aston Villa will be fancied to defeat The Royals at Villa Park this afternoon but head coach Ward is taking absolutely nothing for granted.
“Reading are a very good side that have been in the league for a long time, I’ve made that very clear in every conversation with the players,” Ward said when speaking in the pre-match press conference. “I don’t for one minute think that this is a nailed on three points because they’re a good side, they have good individuals, they’re gutsy and have a lot of character. Kelly (Chambers) has done an unbelievable job there over the years.
“To be 1-0 down against Leicester in a game of that magnitude and to come back and get two goals in injury time is huge. It shows an awful lot of them as characters and it will be a very tough afternoon but one that we will be prepared for.”
Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 4-3 in a thrilling match in their last Villa Park appearance. The Villans may not reach those same heights again this afternoon but Ward still wants her side to use the occasion to help entertain and grow the core fanbase.
She said “It’s difficult because those kind of occasions are few and far between. It’s probably a good thing because emotionally, it was up and down.
“What it did do is show our fans new and old what this group of players are capable of and it also shows people what the football club are doing with the women’s side, it’s all positive.
“Hopefully, we give people the opportunity to come back. How do we get them there? By winning games and playing an exciting brand of football which we are obviously trying to do, I think we’ve played some exciting stuff this season. I think we’ve just got to continue doing what we do and hopefully, we can get the points that we need and we can get people coming back to Walsall as well as Villa Park.”
Aston Villa’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Reading kicks-off at 2pm. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
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