The Cowra Eagles Senior Women will head back to training focused on fitness and defensive urgency after falling 5-3 to Barnstoneworth United FC in an away clash on Saturday. Despite finding the back of the net three times, coach Mitchell Thompson said the side never quite found its rhythm and struggled to match a stronger opposition outfit. “We tried, and we put the effort in,” Thompson said. “Everybody put the effort in but I think we just got outplayed.” Cowra made the most of the limited opportunities they created, capitalising on their chances despite spending long periods under pressure. “We didn’t really have many chances,” Thompson said. “But the chances we did have, we capitalised on them.” Still, Thompson admitted something felt off across the team’s performance. “It just didn’t feel right,” he said. “It was just flat." "I asked a few people and they couldn’t really pinpoint it either.” The Eagles entered the match without several key players, while newer additions to the squad continue to settle into the team structure, something Thompson believes is still impacting performances. “We’ve lost a lot of key players, and a lot of newer girls have come in and are probably just trying to settle in a bit too,” he said. While the match was played away from home, Thompson did not believe travel or unfamiliar surroundings played a major role in the result. “We got beat at home last week, we’re back there this week, so hopefully we can get back on the winning,” he said. “We should be used to the away game.” Instead, attention will turn to improvements at training, with fitness and defensive pressure set to become key focuses before the Eagles’ next outing. “Probably fitness again,” Thompson said. “We need a bit more urgency to the ball still. "We’re still a little bit standoffish, so probably more defensive work.” Despite the loss, there were positives to take from individual performances, particularly through the midfield. Thompson singled out Erin McAuliffe and Haley Wright for praise after both worked tirelessly without substitutes. “Probably the midfield, Erin McAuliffe and Haley Wright were standouts,” he said. “There were no subs for the midfield, so they ran their guts out all day.” Thompson said the standard of the competition had noticeably lifted this season, meaning the Eagles would need to work harder than ever to stay in the mix. “The competition’s a lot better this year, and we’ve probably sort of come back to the pack,” Thompson said. “We’re going to have to work for it this year.” After back to back defeats, the Eagles will now be hoping a return to home soil helps spark a turnaround. “Hopefully we can just get back to winning,” Thompson said.
