A 3-2 opening-day win over Gillingham provided Watford Women Head Coach Damon Lathrope with plenty to be satisfied with at new home Grosvenor Vale, but he is aware there are plenty of areas to build on in the coming weeks.

Helen Ward’s opening goal set the tone for a lively afternoon against the Gills, with Bianca Baptiste scoring a second to equalise following a quick-fire double from the visitors. Andria Georgiou’s header decided it with 15 minutes left to play, completing an exciting comeback with 330 supporters in attendance.

Getting off to a good start was vital for Lathrope, who felt his side could have won in more comprehensive fashion but showed spirit and maturity to maintain their work-rate for the full 90 minutes.

“The first one always feels more important than the rest,” Lathrope remarked. “You go in off of a clean slate, with no league standings for the first game of the season, and you could see that in the first half.

“We know Gillingham aren’t a bad side, we knew they would be high energy and hard to beat, but we’ve said to the group throughout pre-season that we’ll grind teams down, and we expect that the longer the game goes on the stronger we’ll become.

“I would have liked it to have been wrapped up a little earlier than it was, but overall we’ll take that, with lots of positives and lots to work on.”

As are the rules in the FA Women’s National League, five substitutes are allowed in each matchday squad, with all five able to be used throughout the game. Having grown in depth this summer, the Head Coach felt the game outlined the importance of the squad.

“It emphasises the importance of the whole group,” continued the 32-year-old. “The five players that came on all made an impact and ensured we won the game. It’s team first always, and we need to stick together.

“All of the new players are gelling really well, and it’s only going to get better. It’s tough when you have a bit of an overhaul, but we felt like it was needed and the group is in a really good place.”

Grateful for the fans’ committed support at The Vale, Lathrope hopes the enthralling encounter will ensure a consistent attendance at future home games, with the Golden Girls making a fine start to what could be a memorable campaign.

“There were 330 in here for the first game of the season on a nice hot day, and now we want them to come back,” Lathrope added. “It’s a 3-2 game with lots of opportunities, so I’d like to think they’ve gone home happy!

“We want to be an exciting team with lots of the ball, and I think we showed that today and got what we deserved.”

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