Martin Ho and Bethany England couldn’t hide their praise after her late, late winner inspired us to a 2-1 win against Aston Villa at Brisbane Road on Sunday – although it was a different side to her performance that caught the eye.
Having fallen behind to 10-player Villa – after Oceane Deslandes was dismissed for a second bookable offence – our captain responded instantly to level the scores with just five minutes left in normal time before our Denmark playmaker sparked jubilant scenes in E10.
Netting her fifth goal of the campaign – her third in the WSL – it was her defensive work rate that pleased her Head Coach even more than her late winner.
“Oli knows that’s part of the game I demand a lot from,” he told us, reflecting on her key performance. “It’s something I know she can do really well - and she did it today.
“As a collective, we need to keep putting that work in - those runs off the ball, those tackles and those individual duels. They play a massive part in us winning games. If we keep doing that, we frustrate teams and show them we’re competitive.”
Speaking about Oli, Bethany added: “She’s world class - you’re seeing the best of her now. She’s in great form and she’s become one of our most pivotal players. It’s a pleasure to share the pitch with her but she’s improving defensively too.
“We know what she brings on the ball, but today she put in a real shift off the ball - she was even cramping at the end! I’m so happy for her and long may it continue.”