We spoke with Gillingham’s Katie Hardaker after her side responded to losing their Kent Cup crown by pulling off an FA Premier League Plate win away to Lewes last Sunday.
SK: How nice was it to beat a higher division side after being victim to cup giant-killers yourselves recently?
KH: We was buzzing, it was amazing to beat a team who are in the league above. Losing in the week to Tottenham was gutting but we learnt a lot from that game and worked hard in training to set up differently when playing Lewes, which paid off!
SK: Did you have any plan for dealing with the terrible weather and did they work?
KH: The weather made it tough for both sides as goal kicks didn’t even make the half way line. We was able to push high up the pitch and create chances from this. However, it made it difficult at times when defending them, especially in the first half of extra time. We dealt with the pressure really well, keeping composed on the ball and trying to play out to wide areas. We had to be tactical and Jack Wheeler (manager) helped a lot, making sure we were keeping a strong shape and keeping us going in a tough extra time! Credit to all the girls putting in great work even in extra time, when we needed to give that extra 10%!
SK: Did the win at Lewes make you fell more assured that you’re ready for a quick return to the Southern Division?
KH: Beating Lewes is the cup was great. It’s given us the confidence in the league and also proves we can compete in the higher leagues. The main focus for me and the team is to get back into the Southern Division. We can take a lot of positives from the game on Sunday and hopefully put that into the next few tough games we have in the league. We showed great character on Sunday and I’m very happy to be part of a team that has the togetherness and desire this side has.
SK: Who has been your most difficult opponent so far?
KH: Personally, I think the hardest game was against Crystal Palace. We’ve come along way since playing them at the beginning of the season, so they’ll be the biggest test for us. Myself and the team are really looking forward to the challenge and hope we can push for number 1 place in the league, which I feel we are more than capable of doing.
SK: What are your personal and team targets now for the rest of the season?
KH: It’s taken me a while to adapt to the new team but now I feel like I’ve found my feet and just want to progress and keep playing at my best. Team targets would definitely be to focus on winning the league. I feel we have all the right tools and work ethic to go out and achieve this, we just need to prove we can.
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