Page 14 - Women's Soccer Scene 2020/21 Issue 1

It has been a great start to the season so far for Swindon Town who,
after struggling at the wrong end of the table in recent seasons,
recorded their third win on the trot on Sunday when beating Bris-
lington 3-0 and this has taken them into third place in the Division
One South West table.
Manager Jamie Lloyd-Davies has overseen the team's im-
provement during the course of the year and we asked him for his
thoughts on their recent form and hopes for the future:
WSS: Well done on a fine win on Sunday at Brislington,
how pleased were you with the way that the team played
on the day?
JLD: We’re delighted! A solid defensive performance, played some
exciting football and scored some great goals. It’s extremely posi-
tive for everyone associated with the club.
WSS: That’s three wins on the trot now, has much
changed since last season was brought to an end?
JLD: A number of considerable factors have changed between last
season and this season. The most important thing is the team spirit
and togetherness amongst the squad and the staff.
WSS: Ellie Olds scored a superbly taken goal for the third, how big a difference has she
made to the team up front?
JLD: Ellie has been fantastic since we came to the club. She has great qualities and attributes, and I
believe the consistency in the position she’s played has allowed her to make it her own... and it shows
with her performances.
WSS: Looking back, how big a result was beating Larkhall for your first win, did it
give the team the confidence it needed going forward?
JLD: Regardless of who the opposition were, it was brilliant for everyone involved to get the result.
It’s a small reward for the effort that has gone in since pre-season, and especially for the players that
were with us from last season to see the progress.
WSS: This week, it’s the FA Cup and a trip to Exeter City who have also started well in
the league, do you think this will be the biggest test of the team’s improvement so far?
JLD: Exeter have had an excellent start to their season, and have continued with how they performed
last season. We take every opponent seriously and cannot prioritise more than others, every team
has gone from strength to strength and is a fantastic advert for women’s football. The great thing is
we go into games making sure we assert ourselves correctly, and remaining focused on our objectives.
WSS: After a few years of struggle down at the bottom end of the table, how does it feel
to be up amongst the leading teams right now?
JLD: Looking back on last season, we could see the transformations and was just a matter of time
before we would start to see results in our favour. Seeing the league table as it is does bring a smile,
however it’s far too early to be getting ahead of ourselves. The challenge is for us to maintain the
standards we’ve set ourselves and continue to build on the results. The important thing to note is that
it is a real team effort; the players, staff, committee and supporters have done amazingly to help us
to get to this point now.
WSS: What, realistically, do you think would be a good season for Swindon overall?
JLD: Based on recent results, it’s important to remain in the moment and continue to look at the
season one game at a time. As I mentioned previously, there are some fantastic teams in the league
and we will certainly go out and give it our best week-in, week-out.
WSS: Southampton are the clear favourites to win your division and they have started
ominously well, can you see anyone challenging them this season?
JLD: Southampton have started extremely well; the only team in our division to have maximum
points and superior goal difference. Teams have strengthened again this year and standards are
constantly evolving, so will be important for every team to maintain their standards.
Our thanks to Jamie!
Issue no. 1 - 15 October 2020 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk