- LCFC Women lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL on Sunday
- Jemma Purfield gave her immediate reaction to LCFC TV
- The defender’s assist wasn’t enough to take anything from the game
- City are back at King Power Stadium on Sunday, facing Aston Villa
The Foxes fell to a 2-1 defeat in their Barclays Women’s Super League opener at King Power Stadium on Sunday, with two goals in the last 10 minutes of the first half proving crucial in deciding the outcome.
Ashleigh Neville and Drew Spence both netted for the Lilywhites and despite a Spence own goal in the second period, Leicester were left empty handed. Speaking to LCFC TV after full-time, Purfield felt it was a match which could have gone either way.
She commented post-match: “Of course we’re disappointed not to get something out of the game, ultimately three points, if not a point, and I think we came out in the second half and really fought, we battled and we just fell short today. That’s football at the end of the day.
“We had a 20-minute spell that we can’t afford. The goals were both from range, so that’s disappointing. I think we limited their chances and that was how they scored, they had to shoot from further away.
“We need to go back and reflect on that. Next week, we need to stamp that out, make sure we don’t have 20 minutes like that again and capitalise on our chances.”
It was from the 25-year-old’s corner that City grabbed a goal of their own, with her delivery leading to Spence diverting it into her own net. Reflecting on the team’s overall performance, she was pleased to see four Foxes make their full debuts for the Club.
The defender continued: “It’s nice to have that in my locker and the girls are great at winning set pieces all over. They are fantastic with the runs they make in the box, causing problems and they are just as much a part of it as I am.
“They’ve been brilliant. We’ve got the experience and the youth in there, with Carrie [Jones], Josie [Green], Alieen [Whelan] and Erin [Simon]. We’ve got a mixed bag who can play in all positions and they were all great today, which is a credit to them and congratulations on their debuts.”
The response to falling two goals behind was positive and that’s what the full-back will be focusing on as City prepare for another home game on Filbert Way this Sunday, against Aston Villa.
“That’s all you can ask for,” the ex-Liverpool star explained. “We came out second half, and knew we had to get a goal. The next goal was important, and we got that. After that, we were pushing on and are disappointed not to get a second.
“We’ll see where we can exploit next time. We’ve got plenty of positives to move forward and take to next week. It’s just the start of a long season. I think we’re in a lot better shape.”