Dan McNamara was delighted with his Wolves Women side after they defeated Middlesbrough Women 3-0 on Teesside in the FAWNL.
The Old Gold put in a hard-fought display on their furthest away trip of the season, as they secured the three points.
McNamara touched on the performance, the importance of winning each remaining game, as well as the display put in by Tammi George upon her return to Wolves.
On the performance
“They're [the girls] outstanding. It's a tough place to come up here. You don't see it on the VO camera. The wind is horrible from our left to right now, the pitch is difficult, it's a tight little astroturf again.
“And obviously you've got Middlesbrough, who are doing well for a promoted team. They're up there, and they're fighting, and they want to battle as a typical Northeast team does. They want to fight, they want to represent themselves in the right way.
“So I thought we dealt with it excellently. I thought the girls were super. We played when we needed to, we created moments when we needed to, but we showed we have courage and bravery to win our one-versus-one battles when we needed to, certainly in that second half playing against the wind.
“So I'm delighted for them. It’s another great three points, and it’s been a great weekend. We've got to take this into Derby now.”
On the importance of winning each remaining game
“We've got our ambitions, we want to try and get promoted. Nobody's hiding away from that.
“But as I said, with this group, we've got to remember where we've come from. In the summer, we didn't have any players, and we've battled through that adversity, and they put themselves in a situation where it's seven games to go and they've got a real chance, and I think we've just got to keep doing what we do.
“Everyone knows we shouldn't be winning this league. Burnley, it's not even in question [that they should be winning the league], but the fact that we're doing it and we're slowly, you know, ticking them off [the remaining games] and working our way towards that Burnley game is a credit to the girls.
“They're a magnificent group, and as I said, they represent this club so well week on week.”
On the performance of Tammi George
“It's always difficult in January. You want to bring the right people in, and I know Tammi and know what she brings to a group, and I know what this club means to her.
“But she wasn't the player that we let go. I don't know what had gone on in Sheffield. There was a lot that didn't work out, and we were fortunate enough to bring her back.
“I think we're just starting to see signs of the player that she once was, and that's what you get out of her when she's in an environment that she thrives in and she loves.
“And today, I thought she was unbelievable, winning first and second contacts in midfield. I think she headed everything. She deserved that goal at the end. It was a great bit of play from Amber [Hughes] to set her free. As I said, it takes a cool finish at the end of that, which I thought she had. So credit to her, we’re really starting to see her come out of her shell over the last few weeks.”
On building momentum ahead of the game against Burnley
“People keep going on to me about the big game at Burnley. A big game at Burnley is irrelevant if you don't come here and win today, if you don't win at Derby next weekend, if we didn't beat Sporting Khalsa in midweek.
“So I don't buy into it. It's not a big game. So next week, we've got a big game match against Derby at home, and we've got to perform and get three points, and then we'll concentrate on whatever comes after that.
“We’ve just got to keep enjoying the ride. As I said before, the group are fantastic, the staff are fantastic. So let's just keep enjoying it.”
