Gavin Levey hopes his interim Aberdeen Women tenure ends on a positive note when the Dons play Motherwell in their last game of the season.
The ninth-placed Reds travel to K-Park with SWPL 1 safety already secured, while the two teams directly below them – Dundee United and Hamilton Accies – face each other in the hope to avoid the relegation play-off spot.
A win over United last Wednesday ensured Aberdeen will play top-flight football next season – when a new permanent manager will be in post.
The full-time position was advertised earlier this week and Levey hopes to have a clearer idea of the applicants within the coming days.
The Motherwell clash will be the interim manager’s final game on the touchline, having taken the reins after co-managers Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith’s resignations in November.
It will also be the last game in red for outgoing captain Loren Campbell, who is retiring, and Millie Urquhart, who is moving to the United States to study later this year.
And, although the Dons don’t have anything to fight for in terms of league survival, Levey wants his side to end the season on a high.
TABLES | Here's the updated @parksmotorgroup SWPL table ⬇
The title race goes to the wire with @GlasgowCityFC, @RangersWFC, and @CelticFCWomen all involved 🏆@DundeeUnitedFCW and @accieswfc meet on the final day in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off final 💪 pic.twitter.com/hAn2gzobOj
— Scottish Women's Premier League (@SWPL) May 14, 2023
A win over Motherwell would see Aberdeen finish ninth in SWPL 1, but a draw, or even a defeat, might also be enough if Dundee United drop points against Accies.
Levey said: “There’s a lot happening on Sunday. We’re all interested in what happens at the top of the table so we’ll be watching that game on the bus after our match.
“We’ll be keeping an eye on what’s happening below us, too.
“It’s Loren (Campbell), Millie (Urquhart) and some of the coaches’ last game, including mine, so we’ve got a lot to play for as well.
“We don’t want to end the season on a damp squib. We want to go out with a decent performance and leave this season behind us on a positive note.”
A chapter comes to an end as SWPL 1 season concludes
With the SWPL 1 season almost over, Levey has started to reflect on his time in charge.
He said: “It’s only been over the last couple of days that we’ve tried to break the season down. It’s been pretty mad.
“When I look back, we came in quickly needing to get points on the board, had a cup-tie, a mad run of fixtures where we had to work on our defensive structure, and then we were into the split where we had to get the points to make sure we stay in the league.
“I’ve looked at it like chapters.
“Looking back, the girls – mentally and physically – need the break as much as we all do.
“We are all starting to feel it now and we’ll close off another chapter after the Motherwell game.”
Suspension means Broadrick misses game for first time this season
Against the Women of Steel, the Dons will be without Jess Broadrick, who is serving a one-match suspension following her red card against Accies last week.
It will be the first time all season Broadrick has missed a SWPL 1 match, having started in all 31 games prior to the final weekend.
Levey admits the defender will be a big miss, but hopes the squad receive a boost with the potential return of recent absentees.
He said: “Jess is going to be a big loss because she was hitting a real bit of form.
“When you look back at the sending off, it’s unfortunate, because it’s a blatant foul on her first – she can’t even run away, because she’s getting pulled back.
“When the whistle goes, she’s probably thinking she’s getting a free-kick herself not getting sent off, but she did foul the girl and it’s just a shame the foul wasn’t given in the build-up.
“Jess will be a loss, but we’ve got a couple of people recovering from knocks who we didn’t risk last weekend.
“Mya (Christie), Millie (Urquhart) and Hannah (Stewart) were on the bench last week, but we had no intention of putting them on.
“They will maybe come back into the equation for Motherwell.”
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