Livingston Women’s ace Raewyn Murphy insists they can’t put any added pressure on themselves heading into this weekend’s clash with Rossvale.
The SWF Championship leaders host third-placed Rossvale at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Sunday (4pm kick-off) knowing that a win would put them 17 points clear of their visitors.
The league winners automatically get promoted to the second tier SWPL2, with the runner-up facing a play-off. It has been a sensational season for the side, but while Murphy concedes it’s a big clash, she admits they can’t afford to be over-hyped or they’ll come away empty-handed.
She said: “It is a big game on Sunday and it’s the sort of game that was part of the attraction of signing for the club. You want to play in these games.
“We’ve worked our way into a very good position in the league but we can’t put any added pressure on ourselves.
“We have to focus on what’s in front of us in the next game otherwise that’s when you can make mistakes and Rossvale are a very good team who will punish us if we do that.
“We need to go out with the same attitude and energy that has got us to this point and if we can do that, I think we can be confident of getting the win.”
She added: “The games against them have been very tight and we expect the same again on Sunday.
“It’s probably fair to say it’s a must-win for them so they’ll not be coming here to sit back and we have to be ready for the challenge.
“It’s up to us to make sure we can combat that and don’t fall under the pressure, but we’re confident.”
Boss Paul Jaconelli echoed those sentiments as he said the contest will be a good gauge of just where the Lionesses are as they look to strengthen their promotion challenge.
He said: “The performances have been brilliant, whether we’ve had to battle or play football, so we’ve shown we can do both if needed.
“This will be a very good game to judge where we are because Rossvale are a brilliant side who we’ve been fairly evenly matched with over the last couple of seasons.”
He added: “The pressure is more on Rossvale. We need to go into the game relaxed but feeling positive. We’ve earned the right to feel confident but we can’t get carried away.”
Murphy has become an integral part of the side since joining midway through the season and was named in the SWFL Championship Team of the Month for February.
And she's proven her versatility starring in both defence and midfield. She insists it's that team-first mentality that has driven the club forward this term.
She commented: "I want to help the team out in any way possible and if the manager wants me in defence or in midfield, I'll play there and give everything. Even when I'm not playing, I want to help the team.
"We have a good squad and everyone has to earn the minutes they get by giving 100 per cent in training and in matches, both for yourself and the team. We've got a group who all have that mindset and attitude of doing whatever is needed for the team."
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