Page 29 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.27 2021-22

A season to remember for Merseyrail

47 goals scored and 14 conceded in 17 games is an impressive feat at whichever level of football
you look at. It has been a special season for everyone associated with Merseyrail Ladies as they
ran riot in the Premier Division of the North West Women’s Regional League.
The overriding emotion for Manager Lee Austin was how proud he was of his players.
With somewhat of a fresh start for the club with new players, staff and facilities, it’s easy to see
why.
“I was the assistant manager at this club the last time we won a league title,” he said.
“After four years away and the club being at the place it was and us coming back and giving it
that little push and revitalisation to get it moving forward again, to achieve my dream in the
first season is pretty special.”
Ever since the new age of the club was born last summer, there was one thing on the end
of everyone’s lips; promotion. But, as we all know, especially in football that talk is cheap.
Saying and doing are two very different things and some would have thought that the team
would need a period of adjustment and stability, those calls were soon proven wrong.
If you take a delve into the MRLFC website and social media pages there is a message that
lays bare almost everywhere you look, ‘#MoreThanAGame.’ Albeit simple in meaning but a
clear rhetoric and ethos embedded in a football club has become a key component in this
modern era.
That’s exactly what Austin and his coaching team have set from day one which he believes
is a recipe for success: “I’ve always thought that if you put a solid foundation in, you create an
environment where everyone feels that they’re playing a part.
“They’re [the players] trusting with what you’re trying to achieve and more importantly
that they’re part of something. You’re not just doing it for a kickabout or a game of football,
you’re part of a bigger aspiration and you’re playing your part in, not just about the now but
what the future holds for the club.
“When you believe in that ethos and you buy into it then if it all falls into place, it almost
become unstoppable.”
Creating that healthy atmosphere breeds success and is not easy to formulate but
everything seems to have fallen into place at Admiral Park.
That combination of talented players and an environment everyone wants to be a part of
is a formidable task to break down which was proven in a grueling season.
There were some unforgettable moments that put that ethos to the test. The unexpected
clinch of promotion at Mossley Hill, the huge rivalry with Tranmere Rovers and not to forget,
missing out by a whisker to reach the FA Cup main draw.
That is without forgetting the challenges as well. A striker having to go in goal,
suspensions, injuries and of course, Covid to try and juggle with to keep maintaining the results
and performances on the pitch.
When the Head Coach was asked about his standout moment of the season, he had a
definitive answer: “Cheadle away. It was one of those games where we’d been beaten by Darwen
and there was a lot going on in that game, a lot we needed to understand about the way we
played, the team I picked, how we dealt with losing and then to come and have a tough game
against Cheadle, who do everything right off the pitch.
“Ceri (Holder) from right back throwing one in the top corner and the emotion on the
pitch, off the pitch with the fans, our reaction as coaches, it just injected belief into us that this
is possible. This could be ours and if we don’t give up in games and stay together in games, we’re
always going to be up there for the win and I think that game really did and kind of inspire all
of us to work harder and stick together.”
Prior to the season, it’s fair to say there was an overhaul in new signings. After the
upheaval in signings, the squad consisted of existing Merseyrail players, former Tranmere
players with the new coaching team and additional new arrivals acquired in pre-season.
Issue no. 27 - 24 March 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk