Gilbert: “A performance that exemplified unity”

Gilbert: “A performance that exemplified unity”

Lewes was defeated by Reading FC Women 1-0 after a fiercely contested match at RG2.

The Royals made it back-to-back victories with their first victory at home in about seven months, and manager Liam Gilbert expressed his satisfaction with the team in his postgame remarks.

 

“The really good thing about today was the way the girls took ownership for themselves and addressed the issues at half time,” Gilbert said.

 

“As a manager, these are the kinds of things you want to see, as I’ve indicated before, the camaraderie among this group and the cohesiveness the girls have demonstrated.

The girls were dissatisfied at halftime, but they quickly pointed out the problems and agreed that we could all do better. We had the game under control and played the style of football we wanted to play as a team in the second half.

“In the third phase of play, we were just a lot more positive and courageous with the ball, and we were enjoying ourselves more when we were playing in between the lines and making those positive passes.

 

The influence of the substitutes was one of the game’s standout moments, which Gilbert has regularly complimented this season. “The girls who were added in the second half once more excelled. They carried out their duties and significantly influenced the game.

“As I’ve always stated, this team’s diversity of players helps you win games when you need to make a substitution from the bench.

 

“I believed we were again producing some excellent opportunities today. You just never know when the goals are going to arrive after last week, so we continued working until the very end. Even with a 1-0 lead, we kept aiming for more.

 

The squad is becoming better every week, and the girls are absorbing the knowledge we impart on them at an amazing rate. The girls are gradually adopting a completely new philosophy that we have ingrained in them.

“Our use of possession and a clean sheet all starts from the back four; they deserve a lot of praise today, the backline was solid, and once again, this is the team performing well as a unit, not as individuals.”

 

Gilbert’s team made a great comeback from the break with back-to-back wins and clean sheets. “No matter who and where we play, to get a clean sheet and a win is massive,” Gilbert said.

 

We want to maintain this for the remainder of the season since we are a difficult team to break down with the way we prefer to set up. I’m just incredibly happy with the outcome and the way the girls were able to change the game in the second half.