Club news

Rafferty: Result Doesn't Reflect The Game

10 December 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion defender Laura Rafferty felt Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea was a harsh reflection of the game, after the Seagulls held the star-studded Blues for 65 minutes at the Broadfield Stadium.
 
Emma Hayes’s side eventually prevailed through Bethany England’s brace and a goal each from Magdalena Eriksson and So Yun Ji, and Rafferty highlighted Chelsea’s ruthlessness in the final third.
 
She said, “It’s disappointing, but we know that if you don’t take your chances in this league then you get punished for them.
 
“We did so well in the first half, but we needed to play that way through the whole 90 minutes. We can take confidence from the way we performed against a top team, but we needed to keep our concentration going.
 
“We didn’t take our chances, they took theirs and unfortunately the result doesn’t reflect the game.”
 
The Northern Ireland international also spoke about the good mix of youth and experience in the squad, and is eager to translate that into better results heading into the New Year.
 
“We have a lot of youngsters and more experienced players in the team. I’m only 22, and playing against teams like these does make you become a better player.
 
“We also have a manager that gives us all the hope we need. It’s a challenge that we’re embracing and we need to make sure we kick on in the WSL going into 2019. We’ve competed in every game and now it’s about getting results.
 
Albion have one more match this calendar year with a trip to Yeovil Town in the Continental Tyres Cup, and Rafferty explained the importance of ending 2018 in winning fashion.
 
“It’s [match v Yeovil] in the cup and one we’ll be looking to win and gain confidence from. 
 
"Sometimes you’ll have a few weeks without the game and then you have four sprung up on you in a short space of time. We'll manage ourselves to make sure we’re in the best-possible way to perform.”