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The Lionesses are hoping to continue their strong run when they come up against Durham on Sunday. They will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to 7 games in the Championship.
Durham beat the Lionesses 1-0 when the two sides met in September. However, with both teams in form and the Lionesses rising up the table, some would say it’s hard to predict the outcome of this fixture, though of course London City are full of confidence.
Durham currently sit 2nd in the Championship table with the Lionesses in 5th, level on points with Liverpool one spot above.
The original fixture between the two sides was planned to be played in early February but had to be rearranged due to the pitch being affected by the snow fall.
Speaking to Lionesses Head Coach Melissa Phillips about the performance from the Lionesses’ win against Lewes, which was a win through a last minute goal from Ellie Mason, she said “We had to evaluate what it was, that didn't lead to one of our top performances."
“But also recognising the character and the heart and the belief that went into a late match-winner, those are always fun. It was kind of like let's wrap this one up and get out of here and refocus and learn from it on Monday and move forward."
“We knew how important the three points were and it's great we were able to walk away with the result. And great that we were able to learn so many different lessons about ourselves."
“Football is a funny game in that the highs are incredibly high, but the lows can be lower. I think even though we walked away with a 3-2 result and the energy that a last-minute winner gives you; I think we all felt that we've got a little bit more in the tank."
“We also know that we're fortunate to walk away with the result.”
Speaking on how the Lionesses’ have used the international break to benefit them, Phillips said “We love the international breaks because it allows us to focus a little bit more on individual and small group development as well as our strength and conditioning."
“We’re able to have some smaller group sessions this past week and do things a little bit different as we always have done in these breaks and really focus on the things that make us good from a small group and individual standpoint."
“We've grown a lot throughout last week and we're focused and ready now to attack the challenge of a team sitting at the top of the table”.
Talking to Lionesses midfielder Freda Ayisi about the challenge on coming up against Durham, she said “They have stayed consistent, and they've been hard to break, and they have done it for a long period of time throughout the whole season so it’s going to be a difficult game."
“I think if we just play our game and stay focused, we'will get a result”.
You can follow the build-up to Sunday's game at 12pm along with live match updates via the London City Lionesses Twitter feed.
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