Albion Women boss Siobhan Hodgetts-Still believes her side were unfortunate to go out of the FAWNL Cup at Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The Baggies put in an improved showing from their previous outing but couldn’t find a way through against Boro - with Lauren Robson’s strike the difference.
Following the tie, the head coach praised her squad despite a difficult result and wanted to send a message to Boro player Jess Mett, who was taken to hospital after sustaining an injury at the end of the first half.
“I’d like to start by saying that everyone at West Bromwich Albion send their thoughts and best wishes to Jess, and we hope for a speedy recovery,” Hodgetts-Still said.
“Today was a tough battle but I think we deserved something out of the game. I wanted a reaction from last week and we saw that in the players’ performance and fight. Out of possession, I thought we were excellent for the majority of the game.
“We stuck to the game plan which gave us chances, but a mistake at the back gave them the lead. First-half we created some good attacking moments and pushed hard for the equaliser just before half time, but Middlesborough defended well and the woodwork kept us out.
“We found it hard to find our rhythm in the second half due to the long stoppage, though the team kept hunting for the equaliser. I was happy with how we kept possession for long spells but we weren’t good enough in the final third and Boro were able to get behind the ball and see the game out.
“It’s not the result we wanted but it was a better performance and the team showed real character to put last week to bed and gave their all today.”
Baggies’ forward Mariam Mahmood felt frustrated that her side couldn’t take full advantage of their opportunities, but insisted there were “positives”, too.
"It’s a tough one to take, losing is never easy,” Maz admitted.
“We created a lot of chances in the first half, but we lacked that final third quality.
"They managed the game well once they had the lead, especially with the many stop-starts. Despite the loss, there are some positives to take from the game and hopefully bring it into Stoke next week."
Albion return to league action away at Stoke City next weekend, with hopes of eclipsing previous league form with a victory.