Martin Ho felt that the group had given him ‘absolutely everything’ as we suffered late heartbreak in our Adobe Women’s FA Cup quarter-final tie at Chelsea, with Veerle Buurman securing a 2-1 win at Kingsmeadow.
The Chelsea defender struck a wicked but precise left-footed strike into the top corner to earn the Blues a spot in the semi-final of the competition, having done superbly in the early stages of the second period to get us back on level terms.
Eveliina Summanen’s wonderful free-kick from the far left-hand side looping over Hannah Hampton to cancel out Sam Kerr’s opener in the final five minutes of the first half – and we had chances to take the lead through the second 45 minutes, but we were unable to breakthrough once again.
However, it is Chelsea that will progress in the prestigious cup competition but, despite the narrow defeat, our Head Coach was pleased with certain aspects from the performance – highlighting a need for a clinical edge in the final third.
“I thought it was good for large parts,” Martin told us, reflecting on the game with SPURSPLAY. “We frustrated them in large parts in terms of how we set up, when we engaged and when we didn't. With the ball, we had some moments where we could have been a little bit tighter and a little bit cleaner with some of the link-up play and some of the detail in terms of when we were trying to get the ball down and play.
“Then, just in the attack and play, being a bit more ruthless but what I can't do is I can't ask anymore. They gave me everything and they've built on the performance as we had last. They've made it really difficult for Chelsea today and it takes a wonder strike from one of their players to win the game.”
Reflecting on the character to fightback in the second half after the late goal in the first half, he added: “We went behind and we won't be happy with that. It comes from us turning the ball over and then we get punished.
“Then we come out in the second half and there was a response. We were more precise and more effective with our play, Eve puts a wonderful ball in from the free-kick and that gets you back on terms. I thought we had momentum then for another 10-15 minutes.
“We really pushed them back and kept them in their half, maybe some learnings of when we go in the box with the ball, that final action as we cross and we try to link and finish. But I couldn't have asked any more. I'm gutted for the group. They've given absolutely everything today.”
With three games left of the campaign to play once the international break is over, Martin was asked what he wants to see from his side in the closing stages. He told us: “I want to see the same intent, the same fight, whether there's competition in terms of the Cup to play for, there are still three games that we need to win. We need to go into those games because the way we finish the season will be the way we start the next one. We need to build on that momentum.
"This really shows the character in the group and the kind of professionalism of us as a team on how we approach these next three games because the season is not finished until the middle of May and we can't just sit back now because we're not in these cup competitions.”