AYR women’s boss Craig Potter admits he won’t have to work hard on his teamtalk this Sunday.
The Ayrshire derby returns as Ayr United and Kilmarnock collide in SWPL 2 action at Cumnock’s Townhead Park. The size of the occasion isn’t lost on Potter who, after leading his side to promotion last term, has now seen them settle after a tough start to life in the league above.
And he’s relishing the chance for a crack at Ayr’s bitter rivals on Sunday.
Potter told the Ayrshire Post: “It’s been a big few months in terms of the turnover of the squad after winning promotion. We’ve made nine new signings and have a very young group, along with two new coaches, so it has been a real period of settling in and finding our feet.
“You always know there’s going to be that step up and at this level everything is that bit more ruthless. But we’ve shown in the last couple of weeks we’re more than capable and the results have been coming. Now it’s about building on that and what better way than against Kilmarnock.
“They’re an established SWPL side and we know all about their strengths and experience, but we’ll relish the role of underdogs and certainly have no fear. Traditionally, Ayr United as a club don’t have a bad record against Kilmarnock, so we’d love to continue that if possible.
“It’s certainly one that my players won’t need any extra motivation for. When the fixtures came out, it was the game they were all looking for. The fixture sells itself in that regard. Hopefully we can get a few extra fans through the gates and it helps with that continued growth for the women’s game and what we’re doing here.”
Kick off is 2.30pm on Sunday and tickets can be purchased HERE.