Murron Cunningham: SWPL safety crucial to building momentum

06/05/2024 15:00

The women of steel successfully preserved their SWPL status for a fifth consecutive season in emphatic style, retaining a formidable eight-game unbeaten run, with victories over Spartans, Hamilton, Dundee united and Montrose.

With only three games remaining, Motherwell are still within reach of nearest league rivals Aberdeen in the pursuit of concluding the season at the top of the split. Experienced defender Murron Cunningham understands that establishing our SWPL status for the forthcoming season has been pivotal to building momentum.

"Retaining our place in the league with over a month till the end of the season has been a real driving factor," Cunningham explained.

"It's hugely important to the players and the club. The risk of fighting to stay in this league could've hindered our vision to head in the right direction towards the top of the split.

"As a team, we value ourselves highly and know we can compete with the teams in the top-six. Securing a place in the SWPL next season was crucial and will continue to play a role in retaining the momentum for the remainder of the season.

“The atmosphere is good, as a team we have really demanded a standard from one another in training and games to compete at the best level we can. We have picked up good points recently and shown we are capable of competing with those teams around us.”

The women of steel's remarkable run of form has accurately coincided with a monumental resurgence in the final third, with Paul Brownlie's side netting 22-times across their last six domestic league encounters. Cunningham emphasised the importance of SWPL survival as a motivator for the squad.

"As a squad, we have had a lot of motivation these last few months," Cunningham noted.

"The team have played with confidence recently and that may come down to the determination of securing a spot in the league for next season.

"That and the feeling of winning have been big driving factors for us as a team and I think it's been clear to see that we have played recently with a real intent to be on the front foot and challenge teams.

"Having a run of eight games unbeaten is something that can be hard to do in football especially when you are playing against teams of similar ability and status. However, the changing point in our season so far was playing the top-three at K Park and coming close to a historic victory after putting in a respectable performance that gave us the confidence to continue to develop a consistent style of play."

The 2023/24 SWPL campaign marked a long-awaited return to action for the experienced defender after facing an unimaginable two-year spell on the side-lines following a long-term injury.

"Returning from a long-term injury is something that is incredibly exciting at the start of the season," Cunningham said.

"However, getting into the thick of the season, it can be difficult to adapt as quick as your team mates who have been playing consistently the season before. I would say it was a slow start for me and it definitely took time to find my feet, however I now feel I can contribute to the same standard as my team mates and I'm always ready for selection on game day when the opportunity comes.

"The unity in the squad really helped me through this process. When you have a unity within a team, you all have common goals you want to achieve. We have set high targets for the post-split fixtures and when everyone is together and working toward a shared target, we can all equally contribute to achieve the same goals.”

As the team approach the latter stages of the league campaign and have the top of the split firmly within their sights, Cunningham re-emphasised the importance of the Motherwell fans support in achieving this objective.

"The support means a lot to us all," Cunningham emphasised.

“We have made K park our home and we appreciate everyone coming out every week to show their support to us as a team. We will do our best for the last few fixtures, and it would be a pleasure to have you all with us. Thanks for turning up this season to support us.”

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