AFC Bournemouth remains the only unbeaten team in the National League Southern Premier Division, despite sitting third in the league standings. With three games in hand over Plymouth and Watford, the team is poised to make significant strides as they resume their league campaign with a match against Oxford. Their last league outing resulted in a 1-1 draw against Hashtag United on January 4. The club’s recent signings have brought invaluable experience and mentality, aiding both young and seasoned players alike.
Abby Jones said: “I’m really proud of the girls, the way that they’ve conducted themselves the whole season so far. And we’ve got a long way to go yet with a lot of games left. If you told us we would be in this position at the start of the season, I don’t think anyone would have believed it, to be honest. We don’t like to talk about it too much because we don’t want to put pressure on ourselves. It’s obviously something that we’ve looked for to each other, and getting promotion would be a massive, massive thing for us.”
Abby Jones added: “We’ve had success in the FA Cup playing Man City; yeah, we lost that game, but it was probably one of the biggest games of the season, and some people will never have that opportunity again. That’s just a brilliant opportunity for us. And to still be unbeaten in the league this far through the league and have lots and lots of games left is just amazing.”
Abby Jones further commented: “The step up between tier four and three is a huge change. Even just the teams we play against is just so massive, and I think it’s really important to have the squad that we have. I think we’ve done that really well so far this season, utilizing our squad. For me personally, I found it quite difficult and hard. It’s challenging trying to step up from into a league that you’ve never played in before at that level. And yeah, it’s been hard. I’ve had my own challenges, but definitely been focusing on the team as a whole as well as trying to improve myself away from the training ground.”
Abby Jones concluded: “I think, like we’ve touched on with the mentality thing, I think it’s really hard. There’s obviously a lot of pressure to do well in this league, a lot of pressure to perform. And if you’re not performing, then we don’t win games. Luckily, we’ve got a squad that can help us do that and each game we change the team, the team changes around, it’s never the same team playing, it’s all based on tactics. I think that’s what’s got us the edge so far.”
AFC Bournemouth’s campaign has been marked by strategic squad utilization and tactical flexibility, allowing them to maintain their unbeaten status. The experience gained from playing against top-tier teams like Manchester City in the FA Cup has been invaluable, even if the outcome was not in their favor. As they continue their journey in the league, the focus remains on maintaining performance levels and aiming for promotion, a goal that seemed improbable at the season’s outset. The team’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges at a higher level of competition is a testament to their resilience and ambition.
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