Greg de Carnys says his West Ham United Ladies side is ready for the challenge C&K Basildon will pose in their match on Sunday.
The Hammers will play their first contest in two weeks this weekend when Basildon – who sit third in the Premier League Southern Division – travel to Rush Green.
Earlier this campaign Basildon got the better of the Irons in the reverse fixture and De Carnys can recognise the quality that this weekend’s opposition hold.
But the West Ham Ladies manager believes his own team have got better since that contest and are prepared for the test.
Basildon are a tough team, but we want to be testing ourselves against the best teams. We're ready for the challenge.
Greg de Carnys
“It’s a cliché but there’s no easy games in our division," De Carnys told whufc.com: “However, C&K Basildon are a really difficult side to play against, as we found when we played them last time. I think we’ve improved since then though.
“They are a tough team and their results show that. They are the only other side to beat Charlton this season. We want to be testing ourselves against the best teams. We’re ready for the challenge.
“I think our players have improved so much since our last game with Basildon. Hopefully those improvements will show on Sunday. We’ve seen the performances and results get better so hopefully we will be able to show that against them.”
A late change in fixtures last week left the Ladies without a contest and with a small break between the match with Coventry United and this weekend’s fixture.
De Carnys admits he had a concern about mentality during this unscheduled break but is delighted with how his players have kept themselves motivated and prepared, despite not playing a competitive fixture last weekend.
He added: “That week will probably end up being helpful in terms of fitness but I think it’s always a little worrying when you have a weekend without a fixture, because you don’t want to lose momentum.
“However, training has been really good. It’s important for me that I got the players to understand it wasn’t a weekend off and they could switch off. I wanted them to keep their heads in the game, to maintain their momentum, and I think they’ve done that.
“I’m really happy with how they’ve been training. They’ve been excellent. I’m pleased with how we’ve been working."
