“The result is very disappointing,” said The Vixens Manager.
“I don’t think our performance reflects the result, there are lots of things to work on but also lots of things to build on too.”
Kirk, whose side conceded three goals in ten minutes, says he feared it could have been a lot and worse and that he is proud of his side’s resilience.
“The goals we conceded were frustrating, we prepared for what they were going to throw at us and we didn’t deal with it in those situations.”
Kirk added “At 3-0 I worried it could be five or six, it could have been a disastrous start in our opening game here at Ashton Gate but I am proud of the character my team showed to get back into the game. We scored a great goal and if we were more clinical, we could have scored one or two more on the day.”
The City Women boss was delighted with the impact his younger players had on the game.
“Lauren Hemp was fantastic today, she’s 16 and Flo Allen is 17. Our two subs that came on were 16, that doesn’t usually happen in WSL 1, but they were fantastic today,” said Kirk.
“Millie Farrow being out injured is a massive blow to us, but it gives these players a chance to show what they can do. Lauren played centre forward today, her link up play was excellent and her goal was fantastic, I am very pleased for her.”
Going forward, Kirk has identified key areas his side need to work on to compete in WSL 1.
“Firstly, we need to be more clinical. It’s about working with individuals in training to improve those skills.”
“A lot of our chances today were half chances, it’s about working on our build up play to create those clear cut chances. We hit the bar twice today and had a few narrow misses, ultimately going forward we will learn this league is about fine lines and we need to be more clinical in defence and attack. We need to be professional in everything that we do and know our roles, ultimately that comes with experience and that doesn’t come automatically to a young squad and we will learn it over time,” added Kirk.
“The result is very disappointing,” said The Vixens Manager.
“I don’t think our performance reflects the result, there are lots of things to work on but also lots of things to build on too.”
Kirk, whose side conceded three goals in ten minutes, says he feared it could have been a lot and worse and that he is proud of his side’s resilience.
“The goals we conceded were frustrating, we prepared for what they were going to throw at us and we didn’t deal with it in those situations.”
Kirk added “At 3-0 I worried it could be five or six, it could have been a disastrous start in our opening game here at Ashton Gate but I am proud of the character my team showed to get back into the game. We scored a great goal and if we were more clinical, we could have scored one or two more on the day.”
The City Women boss was delighted with the impact his younger players had on the game.
“Lauren Hemp was fantastic today, she’s 16 and Flo Allen is 17. Our two subs that came on were 16, that doesn’t usually happen in WSL 1, but they were fantastic today,” said Kirk.
“Millie Farrow being out injured is a massive blow to us, but it gives these players a chance to show what they can do. Lauren played centre forward today, her link up play was excellent and her goal was fantastic, I am very pleased for her.”
Going forward, Kirk has identified key areas his side need to work on to compete in WSL 1.
“Firstly, we need to be more clinical. It’s about working with individuals in training to improve those skills.”
“A lot of our chances today were half chances, it’s about working on our build up play to create those clear cut chances. We hit the bar twice today and had a few narrow misses, ultimately going forward we will learn this league is about fine lines and we need to be more clinical in defence and attack. We need to be professional in everything that we do and know our roles, ultimately that comes with experience and that doesn’t come automatically to a young squad and we will learn it over time,” added Kirk.
Tickets for Bristol City Women’s remaining Spring Series games are available via https://tickets.bristol-sport.co.uk/en-gb/categories/bristolcitywomenhome
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