Having seen United’s Women suffer relegation in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, TUWFC Chairman Steve Elswood is already looking ahead to bouncing back next term.
Trailing 1-5 to a rampant Swindon outfit with just 20 minutes of the season remaining, Torquay’s inaugural FA Women’s National League campaign appeared to be ending with a whimper, however, after notching three goals in less than three minutes, United’s survival hopes were suddenly thrown a sizeable lifeline.
Although they eventually fell just short of the win they required, Elswood spoke in glowing terms of his squad.
“They were proud of their second hand performance, and so they should be, because the game was dead and buried sadly at half time. To show that resilience, that spirit, that attitude, showed what a great group they are, and gives us hope for next year.
“Hopefully we can keep them together next year, and come back fighting, with a view to learning from this year, and hopefully getting there in a couple of years, and not making the same mistakes we’ve made along the way this year. ”
Looking back on a remarkable afternoon at Dawlish, Steve was keen to emphasise that it wasn’t Sunday’s showing that cost them their FAWNL place, and he hopes that should they make a return to tier-four football, they will be stronger from the experience of the past nine months.
“They should be very proud. There were tears obviously, but they were tears of frustration as well as sadness. Maidenhead did their job for us against Southampton, but we just couldn’t get those last two goals when we needed to.
“We’re all very proud of that display, and so we should be, but sadly there’s been a few performances this season that haven’t been up to that level, and that’s cost us.
“We look to the future now, and learn from what has been our first season in the FA Women’s National League.”