GLOVERS ARE PUTTING IN HARD YARDS – AND MILES!

HANNAH Short cannot yet comprehend the prospect of top-flight football, but Yeovil Town are five games away from a first-ever shot in FA Women’s Super League 1.

But the no-nonsense defender admits it would be just reward for a squad that racks up the miles playing in the south west.

With the Promised Land in sight, the Lady Glovers are in an enviable position – four of their remaining games are against Sheffield FC and London Bees, both of whom are in the lower half of the table and have less wins than Yeovil combined.

It is not all cheery for Katie Sherwood’s girls though – they have been deprived of their most prolific goalscorer, Sarah Wiltshire, through pregnancy and Short – like the vast majority of FA WSL 2 players – must combine full-time work with her footballing ambitions.

Despite the arduous travel and long days, Short believes their rigorous schedule has built a winning mentality that is helping to prove the doubters wrong.

“It is tough for a lot of the girls because there is so much travel. Living in Bristol, a few girls live in Wales, a couple of girls live in Watford and Kent,” said the former Bristol City player.

“You are asking a lot travel-wise, it takes it out of you, but I think that is what makes us a hard team to beat – because girls are willing to do that.

“Some people travel up to five hours to get in and if that is not dedication and commitment to play at the highest standard then I don’t know what is.

“I am a software test analyst, it is tough and totally different being in the office all day and using your head and then I have to switch to football mode and get running, it is quite a contrast.

“We have to keep our heads down and keep going for every game, we can’t take anything for granted in this league. You have to show up to every game. That is a very powerful motivation.

“The prospect of FA WSL1 football is hard to put into perspective. All the girls feel a bit like we are so close and we can’t let it slip now.”

In the absence of Wiltshire, it was Short and Ann-Marie Heatherson who stepped up to take the Lady Glovers one step closer against Aston Villa in a 2-0 victory last time out.

Forward Heatherson was released by Bristol City in 2014 and along with fellow ex-Vixen Ellie Curson, they are doing their best to prove their former employers wrong in the race to promotion.

“We have a lot of players who have been dropped from other teams because people have felt they are not up to the standard of playing in the highest league,” Short explained.

“We have a couple of underdogs that want to get to that level so they can prove a point, so they can say ‘I can compete at this level.’

“I think a lot of the girls have that in the back of their head as well, that is a driving force.”