Match Report: FFC Women vs. Real Bedford - Pre-season Friendly

In a keenly contested pre-season friendly, FFC Women began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Real Bedford. The match took place at McMullen Park, providing both teams with an opportunity to assess their squads and implement tactical strategies ahead of the new season.

Real Bedford are a team on the up having been promoted last season from the Eastern Region Women's Football League Premier Division and now finding themselves competing one level above FFCW. They've also recently announced investment from the Winklevoss Twins, of Facebook and Gemini fame, and have made a commitment to investment in the Women's team going forward. Real Bedford are a little further into Pre-Season currently having already had convincing wins against Maidenhead Utd (7-0) and fellow LSERWFL side Dartford (3-2) so this was always going to be a good test for FFCW as our first pre-season game. The aim of this game was always to get some minutes into the legs early doors and rotation was evidence of this throughout the match. There were also a number of trialists who were looking to make the most of the opportunity to test themselves against a strong opposition. Real Bedford took the lead in the 1st half giving FFCW a lot to do in the 2nd

FFCW managed to equalise as one of the trialists found the back of the net to see Fulham walk away with a 1-1 draw, a good result for a first run out having only returned to training in the last few weeks. New signings Lily Stevens and Evie Gane both got their first taste of action in a Fulham shirt, settling nicely into the side alongside their new teammates and a number of new faces.

The team's ability to adapt and respond positively to being a goal down was a key takeaway for head coach Steve Jaye. His post-match comments emphasised the importance of getting minutes into the legs of the players and the integration of new tactical strategies that had been worked on during training.

Steve expressed satisfaction with the team's performance when talking to www.fulhamfc.com post game, noting the primary objectives of the match were to ensure player fitness and begin integrating tactical nuances. "It was great to try and see if we could implement some of the tactical strategies we've been working on the last couple of weeks," Jaye said. He also highlighted the importance of giving game time to both retained players, trialists and new signings, which was successfully achieved.

The 1-1 draw against Real Bedford marks a promising start for FFC Women in their pre-season preparations. With more friendlies lined up, the focus will be on fine-tuning their strategies and building on the solid foundation laid in this opening fixture. The integration of new players, getting more minutes into the legs and further tactical adjustments will be key over the coming weeks as FFCW push for promotion this season.