Page 14 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.2 2021-22

An interview with…..

Ashleigh Ward (Actonians Ladies)

It has been a very promising start to the new season for
Actonians and their 8-1 win against Harlow Town on Sunday
leaves them in third place in the FAWNL Division One South
East table.
Actonians captain Ashleigh Ward told us of her
delight with the team’s performance against Harlow and
stated that their aim for the season is to build on their early
form and push for place towards the top of the table:
WSS: Congratulations on the win on Sunday, how
strong a performance was it from the team on the
day?
AW: Thank you, nice to get some goals on the board!
Sunday's performance was a great team effort, getting the
goalscorers on the ball and letting them work their magic.
Harlow Town were a physical team that battled throughout
the whole 90 minutes as well as the heat, to say the least we
were very happy with the result.
WSS: All of your previous wins so far this season
have been 1-0, so presumably this result brought a lot less tension on the day?
AW: Winning games one-nil is always a little stressful, however what is pleasing is that we
are showing we know how to close out nail biting games. Scoring eight goals definitely
relieves some of that tension.
WSS: Would you say it was a result that the team have been threatening to
produce so far this season?
AW: Oh 100%, this is the result that we have been threatening all season, getting the right
people on the ball and taking shots at goal helps massively with the confidence going
forward.
WSS: That result makes it four wins out five, and one point off the pace, are the
team doing better than you expected or were you always confident of a good
start?
AW: I think in the last couple of seasons we have started really strongly but unfortunately it
has been interrupted because of Covid, so hopefully this season we can continue our strong
start and keep ourselves towards the top of the table. We have added some fresh new talent
into the team, which is exciting to see.
WSS: This week you take a break from the league and travel to play Cardiff City
from the division above in the League Cup, are they a team that you know very
much about?
AW: I am sure our coaches have done their homework on them and will prepare us as best
as they can this week. I am confident that if we go out and play our style of football, we will
be able to produce a solid performance.
WSS: How much would a good cup run mean for the club this season, if you can
manage one?
AW: A good cup run helps out the club massively, not only does it give our players more
exposure against potentially better opposition but helps to promote our club and the excellent
work that they are doing to increase the numbers of girls/females playing football.
WSS: Uultimately, what would you say are the team's ambitions for the season?
Issue no. 2 - 9 September 2021 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk