McMahon relishing SSFC Women's "tough pre-season" programme

Becki McMahon is relishing South Shields Women’s “tough pre-season” programme.

The lasses have played two games so far - a gutting 3-2 defeat against NERWFL Premier Division champions Chester-le-Street Town Ladies last Sunday and a 3-0 loss against Durham PGA on Wednesday night - and more tests are set to come in the next fortnight.

With the league season starting on Sunday, August 31st, the skipper is enjoying the challenge that pre-season offers, in order to get up and running when competitive action returns.

“It’s a tough pre-season, but that’s exactly what we want,” she said.

“Playing against top quality sides is only going to make us stronger for when the league kicks off. 

“Both games so far have thrown up different challenges, and it’s been great to test ourselves against a mix of playing styles.”

Shields have welcomed many new players over the summer and so it is to be expected that each game is another lesson learned, to build up that chemistry and understanding between each other.

“Absolutely,” she agreed, “we’ve got quite a few new faces in the team, so we’re still getting used to playing together and experimenting with different ways of playing. 

“Pre-season is all about trying things out, learning from mistakes, and making adjustments so we’re ready to hit the ground running when the season starts.

“The last two games have given us valuable minutes in the legs and the chance to experiment with new ways of playing, which has been really beneficial for the squad. 

“We’ve still got a couple more quality teams to face, and I’m sure those matches will bring plenty more positive learning experiences.”

Coming up for the Mariners is a visit to Washington FC Women this Sunday, August 17th (2pm kick-off), which gives the lasses another opportunity to apply themselves.

She finished: “We head into Sunday ready to work hard, get more minutes in the legs, and put more of our training work into practice.”

Image credit: Craig McNair (@ideventphoto)