‘The best team have won’ – Aston Villa boss Ward reacts to shootout success in Conti Cup | OneFootball

Aston Villa boss Carla Ward was bursting with pride as her side beat Manchester United 4-3 on penalties in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup, continuing their unbeaten run in 2022/2023.

The Villans came from behind to draw 1-1 with The Red Devils in 90 minutes and they then held their nerve to win the resulting penalty shootout.

When speaking in the post-match media huddle, Ward was delighted with her side’s performance throughout the match.

“Sensational,” Ward said. “I genuinely think that the best team have won. For 90 minutes, we didn’t let our foot off the gas.

“We started bright but we gave them a bit of a foothold in the game. It was a great strike from Keets (Nikita Parris) which took them in one nil but the message at half-time was ‘let’s increase it again’.

“With a few little tweaks and changes, I thought second half, we were sensational and we could’ve won the game (in 90 minutes).”

Summer signing Rachel Daly has been a powerhouse since her arrival at the club and has been fundamental to the development of some of the squad’s younger players. Ward praised the impact of the England international along with youngster Laura Blindkilde Brown.

She said “Rachel (Daly) has done brilliantly well in the nine, we tried something a little bit different today and first half, we probably lost a bit of rhythm in the final third.

“We tasked Laura (Blindkilde Brown) with trying to get on the ball and she did exactly that, she was brilliant. She came on and she completely changed the game. Playing off Rachel really helps and I think they compliment each other.”

One of those young players in the Aston Villa team was New Zealand international goalkeeper Anna Leat, who made her debut between the sticks. After a stand-out performance over the 90 minutes, she made four crucial penalty saves to guide her team to victory.

“That save in the 93rd minute was exceptional and in the shootout, some of those saves were brilliant,” Ward said.

“It’s good because it puts us in a position where we have two outstanding goalkeepers now and that’s a good place to be.”

The teams now split for the international break with The Villans next scheduled to play on 15 October. Ward agrees with other managers when it comes to the quantity of breaks in a short time period.

She said “I’m gutted it’s come along, I wish everyone well and hope they come back to us in one piece. We’ve got seven or eight players so we’ll play a friendly next week with some of the kids but I’m not going to lie, I hate the international break and this is why. You’ve got to be able to build a bit of momentum, build a bit of quality.

“We are unbeaten in three, we’ve played two very good sides, we’ve got to be pleased.”

Aston Villa’s next involvement in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup comes on 26 October when they travel to Walton Hall Park to take on Everton.