Defying the odds, surpassing expectations and creating a storied legacy has collectively marked an historic campaign for the women of steel.
Despite the highs and lows of competing amongst the financially affluent full-time sides within the top-six, midfielder Brodie Greenwood has relished the challenge, with the squad collectively sharing aspirations for the future.
Greenwood, who joined Motherwell on-loan from fellow top-six competitors Hearts, expressed the confidence, belief and desire that the coaching staff have inspired within the team.
“It’s been a great season to be a part of,” Greenwood emphasised.
“Signing for the club in February, the culture within the first-team dressing room is something quite new to me, but it’s an opportunity that I’m entirely grateful for.
“You can see the constant development of the style of play that Paul and his staff have tried to implement in the team, and how we’ve progressed as a team.
“To reach the top-six for the first-time and return to Hampden for a Scottish Cup Semi-Final is what dreams are made of, and it’s a real reflection of the hard-work and dedication from the staff behind the scenes.”
It hasn’t been plain sailing for the part-time side in a top-six shootout, with five full-time sides all contesting the closest SWPL title-race in recent memory. However, despite the wait for their first top-six points continuing, the squad have continued to punch above their weight and closely battle the best in the country. One certainty amongst the squad is to continually strive to surpass those financial and competitive boundaries.
“It’s no secret how tough top-six football can be,” Greenwood added.
“It’s been challenging to adapt to the requirements of facing the best in the country on a weekly basis, but we’ve been competitive and shown that we’re not simply there to make up numbers.
“We respect the challenges of facing full-time sides, but regardless of the opposition, we are there to compete and we’ve been incredibly unfortunate to not take any points from games against Hibs and Celtic. I feel we are competing well above where we might be expected to, and the hope is that we could eventually capitalise on these performances.”
Paul Brownlie’s side are aiming to see their season out on a high, but the opposition doesn’t come any easier, as they seek redemption against Scottish Cup Semi-Final opponents Glasgow City in the final home match at K-Park.
The team head into Wednesday evening’s contest with little fear, and Greenwood is motivated to right the wrongs of the Scottish Cup exit last month.
“It’s a big challenge facing Glasgow City,” Greenwood explained.
“After the Scottish Cup Semi-Final game, we know its going to be a tough 90-minutes. We are able to take a lot from that performance, and we know we have enough quality in the squad to go and do something special.
“I think there is a lot to learn both collectively and individually as a squad, but we believe that physically, tactically and mentally; everything has to be at the highest level, in order to compete with these full-time teams.
“We demonstrated that in spells at Hampden, but we clearly tired the latter stages, and they were able to take advantage. The narrower pitch at K-Park suits our style of play better, and we are ready to capitalise on that environment.”
After a season of dreams for the women of steel, Greenwood shared the importance of carrying that momentum into the league campaign next season.
“We want to progress as a club,” Greenwood summarised.
“We don’t want to just accept a top-six place as our ceiling. Next season, we will want to kick on and do even better and achieve more than we have this campaign. Whether I’ll be part of that journey next season waits to be seen, but I’ve loved my loan spell at the club, and am looking forward to the future.”
