Completing a seventh consecutive win thanks to goals from Bianca Baptiste and Poppy Wilson against London Bees, Golden Girls Head Coach Damon Lathrope believes Watford were good value for their 2-0 victory at Grosvenor Vale.
With the FAWNL Cup final in their sights on Sunday (April 23, 3.30pm, Pirelli Stadium) against Nottingham Forest, the Hornets go into the fixture having built plenty of momentum in the league, seeing out a tough test at the weekend against local opposition.
Lathrope felt his side did enough to deserve three points in Ruislip, but had to be at their best to ensure the continuation of their winning run.
“I’m really pleased with the win and a clean sheet,” Lathrope began. “London Bees made it really difficult for us. They worked really hard, they're not a bad team by any stretch of the imagination so they made us work hard for it, but in the end we deserved what we got.
“It was a little bit cagey. They played a system that we didn't anticipate so it took us a little bit of time to get to grips with it. We were a little bit loose in possession and not as clinical as we have been in recent weeks, but we're not going to score fives and sixes every single week.
“We want to raise the standards and demand the most out of the players but sometimes you have to just find a way to win and today we did and in the end it was convincing.”
Baptiste’s left-footed strike was a return to goalscoring form, last finding the target in March’s win over Gillingham. Lathrope felt it was no less than the former Crystal Palace forward deserved.
“Bee doesn't normally use her left foot so fair to play to her, she had a swing at it and it ended up in the top corner!” the Head Coach smiled. “We know what she offers us, a lot of assists, and maybe not the goal return that she's deserved. Today she scored a cracker and could have had another one that was very similar; I'll take that all day.”
Excited for the cup final and a trip to the Pirelli Stadium to face northern section opponents Forest, Lathrope believes momentum will play an important role in the game.
“Cup finals are always a great occasion for everyone,” added Lathrope. “As a kid growing up, they're the days that you remember and they're the days you play football for.
“We'll prepare as normal and we'll do our work. It’s something a bit different because Forest, being in the northern side of league, we don't know too much about them, but we'll do enough work and make sure we're prepared and see if we can carry the momentum we've built in the last couple of months into that game and bring the cup home with us.”
