Aberdeen Women co-boss Gavin Beith insists his side deserve to end 2021 on a high, with three points being the main focus as they travel to Hamilton in SWPL 1.
The Dons play Accies, a side they have beaten at Balmoral Stadium already this season, in their final fixture of the year.
Aberdeen sit second bottom in SWPL 1 but a win against Hamilton could take them up to as high as fifth – an impressive position to be in before the lengthy winter break.
Co-boss Beith said: “It’s a big game, but a big game for Hamilton as well. We know there are games in this league where you have to be seriously considering picking up the points and this is one of those games where I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute must-win, but we expect to win.
“It would be nice to go into the Christmas period picking up three points and getting ourselves back climbing up the table.
“It would be good to finish on a high because the girls have done really well. The performances have been there, in the last game at Celtic to take a team of that calibre for 80 minutes – there were massive positives.
“All season, performance levels have been there, but there have been individual errors or not performing well enough for long periods of the game which have let us down.
“Hopefully we can string it all together at Hamilton and get the three points which sets us up nicely for Christmas.”
Familiar opposition
Hamilton are well known to Aberdeen having been promoted with them from SWPL 2 last season.
The Dons have a slight 2-1 advantage over the Lanarkshire side, having taken all three points twice in the last three meetings between the two teams.
However, Beith knows not to rely on history too much and expects a tough game against familiar opponents.
He said: “It’ll be a very tough game, they’re a capable team like every team in SWPL 1. I think their position, it’s similar to us, I’m sure they would have liked some more points on the board, but it’s not materialised that way.
“We know what they’re all about – they’re a good bunch of players that are organised very well by Gary (Doctor) and Bobby (Watson).
“They’ll come at us and be aggressive, but we know them having played them already this season and last year in SWPL 2.
“We’re aware of the challenges they possess, but also we know the things we need to do and if we can do them well then we can get a result.”
A possible turning point?
The game could be a turning point for Aberdeen as a win could see them shoot up the league, but a loss would see them fall to the foot of the table going into the Christmas break.
The game could be hugely important in the context of Aberdeen’s season come the end of the campaign but Beith has played down the significance of Sunday’s result.
He said: “I wouldn’t say we’re thinking like that at this early stage.
“We’ve only played ten games so there is still a long, long way to go and like a lot of teams – we’ve been finding our feet in this league too.
“It’s been difficult coming back in at the start of the season with injuries and Covid hanging around which brings its own challenges.
“It’s taken us a little bit of time to almost adjust, we’ve now seen everyone and what they’re about in the league about so I’m sure regardless what happens on Sunday, win, lose or draw, I think we’re still going to be reasonably content.
“We know we’ve got a very capable squad who on their day can compete or beat anyone in this league – we’re confident of that. I don’t think it goes as far as being a must win game, but every game we go into we expect to win. That won’t change come Sunday.”
Christmas break
Unlike the men’s crammed fixture list, women’s football will take a lengthy break over the festive period with Aberdeen’s next game not scheduled until January 16.
While the break might be longer than some teams would like, Beith believes it gives players a chance to recharge and enjoy time off with their friends and families.
🎄 @AFCCT is once again lending its support to Northsound’s @NSCashforKids to help ensure that children across the North-east will wake up to a present from Santa.@BailleyCollins and @_jennapenman were on hand to help out at the Mission Christmas HQ
➡️https://t.co/xmmaG8yBm0 pic.twitter.com/kOwVCcEPkg
— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) December 7, 2021
He said: “It’s a good time to recharge the batteries, we’re probably lucky because if you asked the men’s teams, I’m pretty sure they would be crying out for fewer games over the winter break to recharge and focus.
“For many reasons, it’s a good thing that we have so players can go and enjoy the Christmas period.
“We’ve got such a good bunch and they deserve to go and have a good time with their friends and family.
“It’s been a tough year for the last 18 months so Christmas is a chance to switch off for a little bit and enjoy the break.”
