AFC Women: Promotion dream alive

Aberdeen FC Women co-manager Emma Hunter admits it is a huge relief that the Dons’ SWPL 1 dream remains alive.

Scottish Women’s Football confirmed last week that SWPL 2 would be played to a finish with teams allowed to begin contact training from May 17 with games expected to begin before the end of the month.

The Dons sit seven points clear at the top of the table after 10 games as they chase back-toback promotions.

The SWPL 2 sides are aiming to complete the second round of fixtures by July 4, while the leagues below SWPL 2 have been declared null and void.

Hunter is pleased the chance to win promotion to the top flight of Scottish women’s football has not been taken away from them.

Hunter, whose side have not played a competitive game since beating Kilmarnock 5-0 on December 13, said: “It was lots of different emotions. We have been waiting for so long so it was a bit of an anti-climax in a way but at the same time it was a relief to finally get a date.

“Hopefully it all goes to plan. We are looking forward to it.

“Ideally, we all wanted to get back to contact training sooner.

“It has been challenging. I think it is going to have been eight weeks of non-contact training.

“There is only so much you can do to prepare for matches when you’ve got no contact.

“We just take what we can get and make sure we are prepared as possible.”

Hunter said she always remained hopeful SWPL 2 would get the green light to be played to a finish as they had already completed one round of fixtures, whereas teams in Championship North had managed to complete no more than three fixtures.

She said: “We are still really playing for something.

“We were looking for back-to-back promotions which is what we have all been fighting for over the last couple of years.

“It has been the aim ever since we became affiliated with the club.

“We won’t take our eye off the ball. We will do everything we can to make sure we don’t lose control of that lead at the top.”

Hunter says it would be a proud moment to lead the Dons into SWPL 1 alongside comanager Stuart Bathgate.

And she hopes the Red Army lend their support to the women’s team as they chase silverware.

Hunter added: “Hopefully all Aberdeen fans will get behind the women’s team.

“We might actually get fans to our games because we are playing in June and July.

“The women’s team are out there fighting for the club to get that recognition.

“The support from fans would be huge for us. We want to do the club proud.”

EXCITED TO GET GOING: Aberdeen FC women co-manager Emma Hunter.