Emma Hunter says Aberdeen need to get back to playing their signature passing game, despite their strong start in the top-flight
The Dons have settled into life in SWPL1 fairly comfortably and have managed to dig deep to pick up crucial points early in the season with victories against Partick Thistle and Hamilton Accies.
However, the performances haven’t always been the prettiest, which is something Aberdeen co-manager Hunter wants to improve on.
The goalless draw against Spartans typified Aberdeen’s performances so far – resolute in defence, but they have struggled create and take chances going forward.
She said: “Spartans had a couple chances and we had a couple as well, but neither of us really took those opportunities. As the game went on, I think you could tell it was always going to be a stalemate.
“I think again we didn’t play particularly well. In particular, I felt we didn’t control the game, we didn’t get the ball on the deck and play the football we like to play.
“It become quite scrappy with a lot of transitional moments of them winning the ball and then us winning it back.”
Improvement needed in the final third
Aberdeen have kept clean three sheets on the bounce, proving their defence is more than capable of coping in SWPL1.
Despite scoring five times in four games, Hunter thinks her side need to be more clinical in front of goal.
The co-manager said: “We need to make sure we are scoring more goal,s but the pleasing part is that we’ve not conceded in three games.
“While we are doing really well defensively, we just need to make sure we’re getting the goals as well, which will hopefully start to fall into place.
“When you’re only creating two or three chances in a game, your odds of scoring them are slim.
“We have to create more chances to get the goals, we’re frustrated that we didn’t hit the back of the net.”
Aberdeen had to be alert to Spartan’s attacking threat in the 0-0 draw as the Edinburgh side went close to finding a winner.
💬 "I’m glad to get another clean sheet and I want to keep that consistency of performance going."
🔴 Read what @gail_gilmour had to say after her third clean sheet in three games in yesterday's draw with Spartans.
➡️ https://t.co/pYJhdBJls1 pic.twitter.com/Oa1AIonb1x
— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) September 27, 2021
The Dons frustrated response to their own performance proves how far they have come since competing in SWFL Championship North only two years ago.
The side are only in their first season back in SWPL1, but are already competing well against established sides in the league.
Hunter insists her side have to take the result as a positive, despite their disappointment.
She added: “When we reflect as a squad, we are a team that have come up two divisions really quickly.
“Spartans are a team that are classed as semi-professional now. They have been in the SWPL1 for a long time, being mid table year on year, so the result is no disgrace to us.
“Either team could have taken points off each other, so to go away from home with the depleted squad we’ve got, I think we need to take that as a positive.”
