Aberdeen Women interim coach Gavin Levey wants his side to go into the SWPL 1 split on a high by picking up a positive result against Motherwell.
The Dons host Well on Sunday at Cormack Park – rather than their usual stomping ground Balmoral Stadium – due to the snowy weather, and the match will be played behind closed doors as a result.
It is the final fixture before the league splits into a top and bottom-six for the first time.
Following the split, teams will play the other sides in their respective halves home and away, with Aberdeen’s position in the lower half of the table already confirmed.
However, their opponents on Sunday, Well, could climb in to the top half with a win or a draw – depending on Partick Thistle and Spartans’ results against Dundee United and Hearts, respectively.
Levey says the Dons’ focus will be entirely on themselves and hopes they can end this part of the season on a high.
The interim coach said: “Any win for us at this stage is going to be really important.
“We scored three goals against Partick Thistle who were stating they hadn’t conceded at home against any team lower than them before and we had a terrific performance on the road midweek against Hibs.
“I expect goals in the Motherwell game, and it’s something we want to build on after scoring three against Partick Thistle. The girls go into Motherwell feeling confident.
“Motherwell have the chance to finish in the top six, but for us it’s not about anybody else – it’s about Aberdeen. It’s about trying to get the three points on the board, being positive and building momentum.”
TABLES | Here's the updated SWPL table ⬇@GlasgowCityFC move 6⃣ points clear at the top 🔝🏆@RangersWFC now just 1⃣ point behind @CelticFCWomen 🤏@ThistleWFC back into the top-six with one game left before the split 💪 pic.twitter.com/aUZHVaPkoz
— Scottish Women's Premier League (@SWPL) March 5, 2023
Levey backs Hutchison to find form
In last weekend’s 4-3 defeat to Partick Thistle, Bayley Hutchison scored her fifth SWPL 1 goal of the season, and Levey believes the striker has the potential of adding more to her game than just goals.
Hutchison was Aberdeen’s top goalscorer last season with 20 in all competitions.
Levey said: “It’s really good for Bayley to be scoring goals. We took on a little bounce game at training a couple weeks ago and it just got her hitting the back of the net again.
“It’s really important for strikers to get that feeling back and to know what they’re capable of, so now Bayley got her goal against Partick Thistle, hopefully she can get some more.
“There are other areas of her game where she can improve, it’s not just about scoring goals – it’s about making the runs that shift players, being available to receive the ball, pressing from the front and working hard.
“Now she’s playing at the highest level in Scotland, these are the areas she has to work on. We’re working together to do that, and hopefully we’ll see progress in her game.”
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