A FANTASTIC TURNAROUND
Coach praises Accies for ‘comeback’ title win
Coach Gary Doctor praised the character and spirit of his Accies squad as they fought back from disappointment to win the Scottish Women’s Premier League 2 title on Sunday.
A 3-1 win over Buchan, with goals from Mhairi Lyle, Marie Terese Mcguinness and Joanne Paton saw Hamilton bounce straight back to the top flight after league reconstruction saw them drop down to the second tier.
Doctor was delighted to see his ‘underdogs’ lift the trophy at the Superseal Stadium and says he has so much faith in them that he’s not going to make many changes to his squad for their assault on next season’s Scottish Women’s Premier League 1.
He said: “We came back from disappointment 18 months ago, they clawed their way back, and I think the players enjoyed that aspect of it even more.
“They were motivated, having been relegated, and it was a lesson learned, but they delivered when we needed them to.
“It showed character, spirit and fight. We lost two games against our nearest rivals and people didn’t quite write us off, but we were looked on as outsiders and they responded well, winning some pivotal games and building momentum.
“There was no room for error, all nine games after those two defeats were like cup finals, and we came through the big games against Glasgow and Hearts with wins at home, which turned the tide in our favour.
“The character was fantastic, because they could have dropped further points after those two defeats but we didn’t even draw a game.
“We got a last-minute winner up in Inverness because we knew a draw was no use to us and totally went for it late in the game. We won the league, and it was a case of getting it over the line.
“There were a lot of nerves, so it probably wasn’t a vintage performance on Sunday, but once they got a couple of goals ahead in the first half I think the girls knew it was ‘job done’.”
Gary added: “The goal next season is survival, there is no doubt about it. Finishing seventh place is the minimum requirement.
“Recruitment has started early for us, it has put us in a good place, so we’ll be looking to add a few in the summer, not the upheaval that we had last time – I don’t think we need it.
“We’ll have a chance to pit our wits against the best teams in the country, the girls are excited, and a lot of them have Premier League experience, so they’ll all be looking to test themselves.”
Hamilton Accies won the Scottish Women’s Premier League 2 title with a 3-1 victory over Buchan at the Superseal Stadium on Sunday.
Accies bounced straight back up to the top flight, having been relegated last season.
Goals from Mhairi Lyle, Marie Terese Mcguinness and Joanne Paton sealed the title for Accies, despite a late goal from Buchan.
Hamilton dominated the early stages but did not open the scoring until th e22nd minute when Lyle chipped the ball over Jodie Kennedy to get the celebrations going.
Efforts from Lori Gardner, Gillian Inglis and Mcguinness showed Accies’ desire to end the season on a high but they had to wait until four minutes before the interval to effectively seal the points.
Fantastic work by Inglis and Gardner on the right played in Mcguinness, who calmly backheeled the ball on to her stronger foot and smashed past Kennedy from close range.
Buchan struggled to really grab a hold on the game in the second half, as Hamilton again went on the hunt for goal.
After several near misses it took until the 85th minute to kill the game off, as Mcguinness cut the ball back for Paton to burst the net and ensure Accies’ return to the SWPL1.
Buchan had the final say, though, capitalising on a goalkeeping error by Elaine Fleming four minutes later, as Lydia Johnstone reacted well to pull one back.
However, the day remained Hamilton’s as the favourites rose to the challenge and lifted the trophy in front of a brilliant crowd.
Manager Gary Doctor was thrilled to have won the league after the disappointment of relegation through league reconstruction last season.
Bursting with pride, he said: “To have got to this point has been amazing for the players, with the amount of effort they have put in and the sacrifices that have been made.
“It makes it all worthwhile when you go and lift the trophy at the end of the season.
“We wanted to bounce back up straight away. That was always our aim and we’ve done it the hard way, having to come back and win nine games in a row.
“It’s an amazing achievement for the players.”
Doctor added: “We probably could have had six or seven goals but, given what was at stake, there was a bit of anxiety among the players, which is understandable, playing against an awkward opponent. However, at the end of the day we’ve won and that’s all that matters.
“We’ll enjoy the win and the week and then we go and think about SWPL1 next season.”