London City Lionesses gear up for trip to south Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United

This Sunday sees the London City Lionesses back on the road, as they get ready to take on Sheffield United.

The Lionesses will go into the game in good spirits, following the 1-1 draw with league leaders Liverpool on the weekend.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's tie, manager Melissa Phillips had this to say on the confidence the side will take from the game.

“We take lessons from every match, but coming out of the Liverpool match, we’ll take a lot of confidence in the performance and the opportunities that we created.

“This half of the season we’ve been increasingly more dangerous, and that was an area that we had real focus on, so now it's just about being clinical to secure the three points.

“Credit has to go to the group; they've been eager to learn and implement minor adjustments throughout each match and it's really added to the versatility of our team.”

For full-back Alli Palisch and the rest of the team, they knew going into the game that they were going to have to put in a strong performance if they were going to take points off Liverpool once again.

“Going into the game, we were prepared because we know they’re a good side, they play some good one touch football and can get behind you in the blink of an eye,” said Palisch.

“But we're confident that we could bring a variety in our play into the game; choosing to go long or play it short for example.

“We're all proud of the performance, and even though we might have come away with more points, we’re still pleased with the point.”

For Palisch and the rest of the team though, the fans in attendance at Princes Park certainly helped give them a boost when they were fighting for the equaliser.

“I live for those kinds of environments,” said Palisch, “and that's what I want the women's game to be all about.

“It was great that anytime you were feeling a little bit tired, they were there to give you all that last little boost to keep pushing.

“So, I would encourage all London City supporters, make sure you make it out to a game before the end of the season, because I promise you, it'll be worth it!”

This weekend though, it’ll be a very different atmosphere awaiting the Lionesses, when they travel up north to face Sheffield United.

“It’s business as usual for us, be it home or away,” said Phillips, “the way that we prepare as a team is very professional, very focused and very competitive.

“On Sheffield, they’re a team who struggled a little bit for consistency at the start of the season, but I think they've really found their stride since Christmas.

“When we played them at home last time, it was only a one goal game, coming from a set piece, they’ve always been very defensively resolute and difficult to break down.”

Yet whilst away games naturally present different challenges for a side, the performances this season suggest that Palisch and the rest of the squad aren’t phased by the games on the road.

“For us, wherever we go, we just try to make it as much like our own home environment as possible,” said Palisch, “so whether that’s how we warm up or how we celebrate, it’s just how we do things, and I think that goes a long way.

London City take on Sheffield United at 14:00 at the Technique Stadium, Chesterfield! Pick up an away ticket to follow the Pride!