St Mirren Women are aiming to end a difficult 2021 in style when they face Montrose in the Scottish Cup this weekend.
But head coach Kate Cooper believes results aren’t the be-all and end-all in Paisley as she insists the Buddies are playing the long game on the road to consistent success.
The Saints welcome Montrose to Mossedge on Sunday looking to fire their way into the third round of the competition, having struggled in the league so far this season.
Cooper admits the winter break will be welcome when it comes, given the tough campaign the players have endured to this point, but is adamant the club are still moving in the right direction, having only been established three years ago.
She told Express Sport: “We’re looking to end the year on a high after a difficult few months.
“It’ll be a very tough game against Montrose, who are one of the top sides in the Championship North.
“After that we’ve got the winter break, which will be good for us. It’s been a long haul of a year given all the complications with Covid-19.
“Despite some of the tough results, the mood in camp is still really positive.
“Our youth teams are doing really well, so I think everyone involved can see the club is progressing as a whole.
“We’re only in our third year and we’ve come a long way, having started with just six players. Now we’ve got 150 and an academy set up.
“It’s easy to look at other clubs and be envious, but they’re a long way further down the road than we are.
“We’re trying to create a legacy for the Paisley area and our under-13s just got to a cup final and our under-15s won their league.
“There’s real talent coming through and it’s all about building a sustainable club that develops players both on and off the pitch.”
Cooper admits she doesn’t know too much about Sunday afternoon’s opponents, with the pair having never met in a competitive fixture before.
She believes that can have a positive effect on her players, as she urges them to focus on themselves heading into the tricky tie.
Cooper said: “It can be pretty difficult to prepare for a game against a club you know nothing about.
“But it can also be a positive. All week we’ve been focusing on ourselves and what we’re going to be doing.
“Sometimes that can help players play their natural game, because they’re not too worried about the opposition and trying to manage them.
“Hopefully, we can go out there and finish the year strongly. The players deserve that for what they given the club this year.
“They love the club and they’ve stuck with us all the way through the pandemic and the tough times on the pitch.
“Hopefully, we can get our name into the hat and come back all guns blazing in 2022.”
