WEYMOUTH Women manager Natalie Anderson has called for her squad to “keep grounded”.
Anderson, who helped form the Terras just two months before the 2020/21 season, admits increased media attention could distract her squad’s focus.
But there has been no sign of complacency, with Weymouth team members currently embarking on a ‘Lap the Map’ fundraiser both to keep active during lockdown and support domestic abuse charity Refuge.
Their fantastic efforts so far have helped gather over £1,000 with the squad past the halfway point.
Anderson believes the positive attitude shown by her players has been shaped by a 10-2 defeat to Dorset Women’s League leaders Holt United.
She told Echosport: “We had a good pre-season with outstanding scores.
“For a team that had only got together eight weeks before the start of the season, we were amazed pre-season went that well.
“Going into the first game of the season and suffering quite a big knock, I think it helped. I like the players to stay grounded.
“It’s very easy – because they’re over the news, social media, they do ‘Meet the Player’ – for a young girl to think: ‘I’m playing for Weymouth’.
“They’ve got to realise they’ve got to work and commit their time and everything else.
“Although it wasn’t great to have that loss and I wasn’t very happy about it, it gave everyone a wake-up call.
“We’ve got all the talent there, but we can’t be complacent. We’ve got to keep going and keep focused on everything.
“Next game I said we needed to do something and we changed the formation around, tried different players.
“It was still a learning curve and when we got to the second game we walked away with a 12-0 win (against Bridport).
“They’ve gone from strength to strength and they’re a really dedicated team. It’s an absolute pleasure to coach and manage them. They give 110 per cent.
“When you’ve got a bunch of adults that want to progress and get up that ladder, it’s quite refreshing.”
*You can donate to the ‘Lap the Map’ fundraiser using this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/weymouth-f-c-women
