Livingston Women’s defender Jess Murphy believes consistency and experience has been the key to their success this season.
The Lionesses head into this weekend’s away trip to Inverness Caledonian Thistle with an 11-point lead at the top of the SWF Championship and having suffered just one league defeat all season.
Murphy - who scored in last week’s 3-1 away win over Hutchison Vale - insists that stability on the park has led to a greater understanding and everyone being more clinical.
A disappointing end to last season saw them miss out on promotion to the second-tier but they’re well-placed to mount a title charge this time around.
Speaking to the Courier, she said: “There’s a year more experience within the team. It’s a lot of the same team that’s been together for a season-and-a-half and I think we’re understanding each other a lot better.
“The consistency with the starting XI makes a huge difference. If you have the same players playing in the same positions most of the time then you develop that relationship and that understanding. I think that’s led to everyone being more clinical as well.”
She added: “Jen (Dodds) and Ash (Elizabeth) can read other’s game so well at the top end of the park and Brogan (Anderson) has fitted in really well too and already got that understanding.
“If she plays the 10 it’s just a triangle between the three of them and they all know what’s happening, they know each other’s games and know instinctively when to fill in or switch.
“At the back, I know where Tash (Frew) and Fi (Walker) are all the time. I don’t even need to turn my head to know. It’s more solid and slick than last season and that’s showing in the results.
"We've maybe not been playing to the best of our footballing levels this season but, like the win on Sunday, we've got a lot more grit and fight. We're seeing games out that we maybe wouldn't have done last season and a big part of that is having that experience and consistency."
The centre-back is confident they can continue their winning streak but knows that will be far from an easy task - especially having suffered a loss in their last game in the Highlands.
She said: “We got beat in the last game up there and we know it will be a really tough test. They’re a good team with real quality.
“I think we should still be good enough to hopefully pick up the three points if we can play at our best.”
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