Hartlepool United Women return to league action this Sunday with a home fixture against Redcar Town Ladies at Grayfields (2pm kick-off).
Following their promotion to the NERWFL Premier Division last campaign, Pools have experienced a mixed bag of results. Women's manager Craig Bage explained:
"We've had a tough start to the season and found it difficult in some games to adapt in this league, but we've shown we have the quality to compete. Some games we've been very unlucky, such as only taking a point against Wakefield a few weeks ago. While the squad is settled and we have plenty of cover, we've had a few issues with injuries and availability so we've not always been at 100%. We are looking to bring a few players in during the Christmas period to help us through that."
Last time out, Pools were knocked out the FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat away to Gateshead. The previous week, though, Bage's side marked their first league win with a 2-1 victory over Harrogate Town.
"We're hoping to build on the win against Harrogate. They will be in and around us at the end of the season so it was a must-win game for us, and the players showed a lot of heart which we were really pleased with. We deserved to walk away with the three points. The FA Cup result was a bit of a disappointment. It was a great chance for us to progress but it took us a good 60 minutes to carve Gateshead open and their goalkeeper had an excellent game. Credit to Gateshead - they battled well and deserved the win."
Redcar currently sit bottom of the table, but Bage explains Pools can't underestimate their opponent at the weekend as they look to return to winning ways:
"Redcar are a solid team and I think they're a hard team to break down. I have no doubt it will be a close game and it could go either way, but I believe we have the quality to take all three points and pull away from them in the table. It's another must-win game for us. We've been working hard in training, even in the atrocious weather, and we're looking forward to it."
Bage also provided positive news on the injury front, with several players returning to action after short layoffs.
"As I mentioned earlier, we've had a rocky start to the season. We lost Robyn Foster early on with a quad injury but she come on against Gateshead and looked sharp, managing to get a goal. Leo Kennedy is back playing after being ruled out with concussion since the Sunderland West End game in September. During the Harrogate game we lost a further two players, one with a hamstring injury and the other with an ankle injury. However both look likely to return to the squad so that will give us a boost going into Sunday."
Sunday's game, subject to a pitch inspection, will be a 2pm kick-off at Grayfields (TS24 8PJ). Entry is free and the refreshments bar will be open.