.png)
It’s back to league action this Sunday as the Lionesses take on London Bees, in a bottom of the table clash and the team will be led by Interim Head Coach Melissa Phillips, following the departure of Lisa Fallon.
London Bees are yet to get a point on the table. For the Lionesses, with just one point from the draw with Crystal Palace, securing three points this weekend is critical to not lose touch with the rest of the table.
Despite the midweek loss to Spurs in The FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup, Interim Head Coach Mel Phillips was positive about the performance saying “The response in the second half was incredibly pleasing to see, our defensive organisation and the adjustments that we made at halftime.
“But as well as the mentality of the team, they worked hard, they competed, they fought for each other and you know, they got the benefit of creating some really exciting attacking opportunities from that. So really pleased with the response at halftime and it will always be about that for us. How do we respond? And how do we move forward?”
The line-up on Wednesday saw a number of players rested. With games coming thick and fast it’s important to keep the team fresh and draw on players who perhaps haven't featured as much, to make sure injuries and fatigue is kept to a minimum. What's best for the team and individual player development remains central to decision making.
“Something we speak about all the time is owning your role and being ready for your opportunity, when it comes to supporting the team and whatever that might look like. So, I think the players who stepped up in the match did an excellent job at supporting their team in those ways and they'll be players who will step up each match here forward, ultimately to push the team in the right direction” explained Phillips.
With the match against London Bees being a critical game to secure points, it’s importance can’t be underestimated.
Phillips responded by saying, “Every game is a big game. So, we have to approach it and prepare for it accordingly, which we will always do. We treat each game as a separate entity and each game holds the same value, but yeah, ultimately will be looking to get three points out of the match.
“Having watched them throughout the beginning portion of the season, I think they have been a bit unlucky and some of their games the ball hasn't bounce their way, but ultimately we know they have a very strong side and it will be a competitive game this weekend.”
Don’t forget to follow the action via the London City Lionesses twitter feed. Kick-off is at 2pm. As with all FA Women’s Championship games the full match will be available on FA Player later.