Kirsty Smith felt communication all over the pitch was the key to the Belles getting their first home win of the season after a 3-1 victory over Sporting Khalsa.
Smith took the captain’s armband for the game at Oxford Street, leading by example and being named player of the match at full time, but for the Belles’ no. 11 the emergence of leaders shows just how much relationships within the team are starting to build.
“I only saw being named captain for the game as an armband, I said it before the game that we needed everyone to be a leader, I can’t see what’s going on behind me and we need everyone to be together and to communicate,” she said.
“We’re all leaders in the group I feel, we’re all in this together, I think the girls really lead each other as a collective out there and that really helped to see us get the win over the line here.
“The bonds and relationships are really coming on strong, you can see those patterns coming together in the team, that communication is helping us to connect us all around the park, and we really showed just what we can do.”
The Belles responded from a mid-week defeat in superb fashion by securing their second win in three games in the FAWNL Division One Midlands, and Smith feels there could be something special starting to build within the camp.
“We knew we had a point to prove and a win like that has been coming for a while, we knew that we had been a lot better than we’d performed before, and I think here it’s showed how it’s gelled together and I couldn’t ask for any more from the girls,” she added.
“Building momentum is the key, the girls are raring to go, I think here everyone will have seen what we’ve been trying to do over pre-season and in training has paid off, we were great from start to finish and didn’t look like ever dropping off.
“I think it was a brilliant win for us, I feel like that was the first time we’ve really come together collectively as a team, we really worked hard for each other both on and off the ball, and it’s shown that the things we’ve worked on in training are coming together.”