Hourihan delivers post-season review.
Head Coach reflects on Potters’ 23/24 campaign
35-year-old highlights team and player development
Hourihan outlines exciting summer plans for the Potters
Stoke City Head Coach Marie Hourihan believes her side’s collective improvement during 23/24 provides much scope for optimism following the Potters’ maiden season as a semi-professional outfit.
City concluded 23/24 with an impressive top-five finish under the stewardship of Hourihan, who joined the Club 10 months ago following a spell in charge of London Bees.
Reflecting on her side’s FA Women’s National League North campaign, the former WSL goalkeeper highlighted the Potters’ overall development as an overwhelming positive.
“I look back on this season with a real degree of pride and believe it was a success,” Hourihan explained.
“With how we’ve played on the pitch, we are starting to see the fruits of the principles that we put in place at the start of the season and, as I said throughout the campaign, the development of those relationships on the pitch and the understanding of how we want to play.
“We saw that towards the end of the campaign and for me as a coach that was pleasing to see.
“I need to mention the development of players individually too. Lucia Molinari won the Player of the Year vote, and she’s someone who has flourished as the season has gone on.
The 35-year-old added: “Heidi Logan was the league’s top goal scorer, players like Molly Holder, Roisin Kivel and Alice Higginbottom have all improved and there are so many that I can go through that have developed their games, which for us is a strong start.
“Ultimately, we want to get results consistently, but our job is to coach the players into being better footballers so that’s definitely something which, on reflection, we take a lot of pride in.”
Hourihan’s side finished 23/24 with one of the most admirable home records in the Women’s National League, collecting more than two-thirds of the points available in the Potteries.
