Derby County Women Preview: Liverpool Feds (H)

Derby County Women will start 2024 with a home clash against Liverpool Feds on Sunday afternoon (2pm kick-off).

dcfc.co.uk has brought together all the key information you will need to know ahead of the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division fixture.

Manager's Thoughts...

Manager Sam Griffiths says there have been plenty of encouraging signs to build on for Derby County Women in the second half of the 2023/24 season.

Looking back on the campaign to date, Griffiths feels a mid-table position in a league that contains full-time and well-financed clubs is something the Ewes can be pleased with - but she wants to see the side maintain their progress when they return to action this weekend.

She said: “I think the season has been good so far and we knew the league was going to be tough this year.

“There are a lot of high-flyers in the division now with a lot of money behind them and full-time managers, players and staff on their books.

“It does make a massive difference; I can tell you that. When you’ve got players training full-time and as a group of staff you can analyse every move you make, it can only make a positive impact.

“For us, if you’d have offered a mid-table spot at this stage and being up-and-around it at the top end, and not in a relegation fight at Christmas, I would have taken it.

“We want to be as competitive as we can be, but we are realistic. We lost against West Brom, which was disappointing as it was a chance to push further up the league, but we can’t let that define our whole season.”

On what has pleased her the most so far, Griffiths added: “The attitude and application of the players has been excellent and especially towards the way we want to play.

“They’ve really bought into it and sometimes we are good at it, sometimes not so good. They’re a brilliant group of players and work so hard.

“Like some teams in this league, we have girls that work in the day, get home, come to training and then go home again. It is tough, mentally especially, and physically. It is the same for staff too.

“To be in this position and competing, in my opinion, every week is a good place for us to be.”

From The Dressing Room...

Captain Amy Sims wants the side to kick on when they return to action this weekend.

Derby have been in fine form since the Autumn, scoring plenty of goals in the process, although they did go into the festive period off the back of a 1-0 reverse at home to West Bromwich Albion to end their six-game winning run.

Despite that, Sims is convinced there’s a lot to look forward to when the side return to action against Liverpool Feds on Sunday.

She said: “The season has probably been a bit of a mixed bag so far. We knew the first couple of fixtures were going to be difficult as we were up against some strong sides, but we’ve kicked on since then.

“Once we got the first win on the board, it was about building up some momentum. We’ve had a good run of form on the road and while they have been matches we knew we could and should win, they’ve been tough places to go to and we won them convincingly.

“The cup runs have played a part in building up some momentum too. We’ve pretty much played every week, give or take a free weekend or two, and that has played a part in our league form lately.

“The team we have got is exciting and we’ve got a variety of players. We’ve got a few that have been here a while, like myself, the new signings and some exciting youngsters on dual-registrations from Women’s Super League clubs.

“There’s a lot of talent and it has been about gelling together. We’ve progressed well as the season has progressed and learnt about each other’s attributes for the benefit of the team.”

She added: “It was disappointing to go into Christmas with a defeat, but it will make the girls even hungrier to really kick on now with a busy run of matches.

“We’ve got some important cup games but, on top of that, we have a few matches in the league that we need to be looking to get maximum points from.”

The Season So Far...

Derby County Women’s form since the beginning of October has been nothing short of impressive.

In ten matches in all competitions they have claimed eight wins and just two losses.

They’ve scored 35 times during that run and conceded just nine goals along the way.

Their impressive run has seen them move up to mid-table in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division, after a tough start to the season against strong opposition, and they also have an interest in the Women’s FA Cup and National League Plate going into the start of 2024.

With several players in impressive form right across the pitch, there’s plenty of encouraging signs to build on in the weeks and months ahead.

Ticket Information...

Tickets are available either on arrival at the Don Amott Arena or online via the Derby County Women ticket portal by clicking here.

Prices are:

Match Highlights...

Full highlights from Sunday's match will appear online on dcfc.co.uk following the final whistle.