Page 14 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.16 2021-22

An interview with…..

Laura Holden (Bridgwater United)

Bridgwater United caused a surprise in the Third Round of
the Vitality Women’s FA Cup when they won 1-0 against
Championship high fliers Crystal Palace. The Somerset
club received further good news the following day when
they were drawn at home to Manchester United in the last
32.
Laura Holden was her team’s heroine in the win
against Palace as she scored the only goal of the game. She
praised her team mates for a good all round performance
and, whilst relishing the chance to take on a top WSL club
in the next round, insisted that they won’t be taking their
eye off the ball as far as the league is concerned:
WSS: Congratulations on a great result on
Sunday, how pleasing was it to beat an in-form
side from the league above?
LH: It was brilliant and definitely the best moment of my
career so far, we proved to ourselves, our staff and our
fans that we are capable of playing at a high standard
and ultimately as a team, we want to be playing at that
standard week in week out. Before the game we all said
as a team if we stick together and fight every minute of
the game, we have a high chance of winning and we did
exactly that, and I’m just so grateful to be part of such an
amazing group of girls.
WSS: After you scored what proved to be the winning goal, were there any
anxious moments for the team in the last few minutes of the game?
LH: Of course there were some moments towards the end. Palace looked as though they were
going to come close to equalising, but we had worked so hard for the entire game and it
would have been a shame to see them equalise. The team definitely kept their cool and as
soon as the final whistle went, there was a massive sigh of relief from everyone, we deserved
that win and no one in the team was going to stop until we achieved just that!
WSS: Were there any particularly good performances from any of the players
on the day or was it a complete team effort?
LH: Everyone’s performance was solid, even when the subs came on in the second half.
Everyone played a part in that win and I think that the girls will agree, not one person
looked out of place, we stuck together and we fought as a team.
WSS: The draw for the Fourth Round has been a great one for you, pairing you
with Manchester United. How do you feel about the prospect of them coming to
Fairfax Park?
LH: To be drawn against Manchester United is massive for us, for the club we are making
history! I truly believe that if we perform the way we did against Crystal Palace we have a
very good chance of coming away with a result. Everyone is buzzing for this game and
there’s no pressure on us, we’ve got this far and to be drawn against one of the biggest clubs
in the WSL is just a dream come true.
Issue no. 16 - 16 December 2021 womenssoccerscene@mail.com