Aberdeen Women co-boss Gavin Beith insists his side are ready to push on in SWPL 1, as they travel to Celtic today to kick off the second round of league fixtures.
The Dons will be hoping to start the second third of the season strongly after a slump in results over the last month, but the points they picked up early doors leave Aberdeen within touching distance of a top half position in the table.
Considering it is the Reds’ first season back in SWPL 1 following two years away, they can be forgiven for taking time to adapt and gain valuable experience in a league which has grown stronger since they last played in it.
However, as Aberdeen progress throughout the second round of fixtures, Beith thinks it’s time for the young side to step up. The co-manager reckons the Dons must now prove their top-flight credentials, leaning on lessons learned from their first nine games in SWPL 1.
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Beith explained how his side might be better equipped for games against the top sides, as he said: “It’s not necessarily a fresh start, but it now gives us an understanding of every team because we’ve played everyone.
“We’re happy with certain parts of the first round of fixtures. I think we’ve done really well at times, we’ve shown a bit of quality and been able to pick up points.
“In other games, we’ve maybe let ourselves down a little bit, but we always knew that it was going to be the case in the sense that this league can be a case of playing well and losing a game, and then playing not so well and being able to pick up points.
“We’ve found out that you can be punished for little mistakes that previously wouldn’t happen in the lower levels.
“It’s given us a better understanding of where we are at and more of a focus to now go into the next round with a bit more intel on how these teams play, and what they’re all about.
“We can hopefully now start to kick on in the league during the next round of fixtures.”
Redemption as a means of motivation against Celtic
On the opening day of the season, Aberdeen may have surprised many with how they performed against Celtic, with the Glasgow side’s 4-2 victory only truly sealed thanks to a 93rd minute penalty.
The Ghirls have already dropped vital points this season in games they would be expected to win, including a 2-2 draw with Spartans – a team that Aberdeen also shared points with in September.
Recent SWPL history would suggest the Dons are capable of taking the game to Celtic at the Penny Cars Stadium, and should look to come back to Aberdeen with more than just a decent performance.
Beith said: “It was a hard game against Celtic on the opening day of the season, which of course we expected it to be. They had large amounts of possession, which you expect them to have, but we managed to keep ourselves in the game which was great.
“We were a threat and scored a couple of goals, and it took them a period of time to finally put the game to bed. It’s something we’ll look back on and constantly remind the players about.
“Against the top teams, you need everything to go right in your favour and for them to have more of an off-day, but there are things there that we think we can try and capitalise on.
“We believe in ourselves. We’ve got a confident group of players, coaches and staff who all believe that we can capitalise on any advantage we might get in the game.”
Aberdeen are always going to be the underdogs against any of the league’s professional sides, but their experiences in defeat have helped put a spotlight on what they can improve on and where they can adapt.
Against Celtic, the Dons must prioritise their game management to ensure a less frantic start, a flaw that has seen them concede 10 goals across their last three first halves – against Hibernian, Glasgow City, and Motherwell.
If the Reds can improve this element of their game, a more confident and composed overall team performance will hopefully ensue.
Beith explained: “Starting the game well is something that we’ve recognised that we need to improve on. It has been good at times in the season, but between that and individual errors, teams have been able to capitalise on that early on.
“That comes down to how we maybe start games and bed ourselves into games, so we’ve reviewed that, and it’s certainly a key area that we need to tidy up on.
“You can’t afford to give teams so many goals at the start of this league, because it’s a long way back. It’s been a key area of development we’ve been working on and hopefully we will see the work of that on Sunday.
“We always want to be Aberdeen and play the way which is traditionally trying to get the ball down, to move it and pass out, but we’re also trying to figure out that there are certain times where you can’t do that.”