West Ham United Ladies general manager Karen Ray has called on her side to put aside Wednesday's Women's Cup final win as they prepare for QPR this Sunday.
The Ladies claimed an incredible comeback victory over Charlton Athletic Women this week to lift the Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup, but have not have long to allow the win to settle win, with a return to league action against QPR Ladies this weekend.
Ray is eager for her team to fondly recall the memories of Wednesday's result but is looking for the Ladies to be fully focused on this Sunday's contest.
Of course, I want the girls to cherish the memories of this week's victory, but we can’t settle there. We have more games to win and more history to make.
Karen Ray
"My message to the girls will be that, of course I want them to cherish the memories of this week's victory, but we can’t settle there," Ray told whufc.com: "We have more games to win and more history to make. Consistency and persistence will be required but we have that in abundance.
"We will have our pregame meeting where we look at areas of QPR’s game that we need to nullify and exploit. Cav and Jackson will then take the girls for a session in the gym to get the blood flowing into their muscles to aid in the players speed of recovery. The best discussions for a team happen when the coach isn’t in the room so it’s a great chance for them to talk as a group."
Speaking for the first time since the Ladies won Wednesday's final, thanks to goals from Andria Georgiou and Molly Clark, Ray was eager to express her delight at the team's performance in the final.
She continued: "This team is a family and I am delighted for everyone associated with this Club. We made history. Tonight we fought for each other, we were determined and resilient in all areas of the pitch. What else can I ask for?
"Winning is developed in the most difficult moments and being 1-0 down against a team tipped to win our league certainly isn’t easy. We proved a lot of people wrong tonight and the girls deserve more respect for their achievements.
"I have to say that both goals were wonderful and demonstrated how dangerous we can be from any area in the final third. Dre and Molly have proven to be great additions to the environment and I am enjoying working with them as they play in my position! Credit has to go to Ellie Zoepfl who was phenomenal tonight, she terrorised their defenders with her speed and tenacity. The game standout for me.
"We showed that our winning mentality isn’t limited, we can not only outplay strong teams like Charlton, we can beat them. That’s something to hold on to as we head into Sunday's match."