Hull City Ladies started their home campaign in spectacular fashion after clinching a huge 2:1 victory against Sunderland as first team manager Adi Costello expressed his delight after the match.

Costello said: “I’m pleased because all the hard work we’re putting into training and the system we play is different from what the girls are used too, teams are seeing us play a different system to most teams in our league, I’m over the moon.

You saw it at the end, what did it mean to the girls, last season Sunderland scored 13 goals in two games against us and we only scored once and today for long periods of that game we were the better side.”

It was a massive win for Tigresses against predicted table toppers Sunderland. Katie Thompson opened the scoring in the first half with a well taken goal and Florence Pegrum extended the Tigresses lead in the second half from a fine finish. Keira Ramshaw scored a late penalty for the visitors late on but Hull City Ladies held on under pressure to secure all three points.

“The girls are getting used to the system and teams are finding it difficult to play against, we’ve played two of the best teams in the league and we’ve got one win & one draw, last season we scored six points all season, we’ve got four already, we’re pushing on, we’re doing well and the girls are really on it at the moment,” said Costello.

Hull City Ladies weathered the storm in the opening exchanges and soaked up Sunderland’s pressure. A brilliant ball from Suey Smith found Katie Thompson, and she made no mistake to fire the Tigresses ahead with Hull City Ladies’ first shot on goal. However, Costello explains he comfortable seeing Sunderland having so much of the ball.

“There’s times where it looks like that we’re under pressure, we’re not as we trust our defenders win the ball, we trust our defenders to head the ball and trust our midfielders to get the second balls and we play from there, we have a game plan and that game plan the girls stick to.”

After securing a well deserved point last week against Middlesbrough Women, the Tigresses went one step better as ensured they were picking up all three points. As determination and hard work was once again personified throughout the Sunderland game.

“One thing we said after the Middlesbrough game is that hard work carried us through, they were long periods of that game, we were under pressure but hard work carried us through, in that game when they scored that penalty, they was still 10 minutes to and hard work carried us through and that’s what we have to do.

Work hard, believe in yourself, believe in the person stood next to you, believe in yourself as a team and be brave. You could have not asked for more today, there’s people out there who have to play Wednesday and they can hardly walk now, they’ve done that much running for the team, fair play and hat’s off to everyone in the squad. Even the players who haven’t got on today are still part of the squad, still training, still working hard, still looking to get into the team and still trying to break in for Wednesday or Sunday, be in a position to be able to play,” said Costello.

The tigresses got high praise from their manager but rightly so after beating a very good side who were unbeaten last season in FA Women’s National League.

Costello said: “They’re superb, they have fantastic team spirit and are a fantastic team. One thing we try to get across is the, Andy Paul and even the young lads they are apart of the management is that the girls must believe, believe in what we’re telling them, believe in themselves and believe in their ability, hey’re not poor players we just need to find a system that suits them and I think we’ve found one.

Hull City Ladies went into the season on the back of two defeats but pre-season isn’t about results according to Costello.

“All that pre-season stuff when I said it doesn’t matter about results, we had to try all them different things, we got beat by Man United and Brighouse, so what, because we’re working for today. We’re trying to get to a system to get us to where we are today. So the girls see it, understand is and play it,” said Costello.

Hull City Ladies now have a short turnaround, as they face Huddersfield Town Women on Wednesday 30th September at Haworth Park, 7 45pm KO, with free tickets for NHS and key workers available.

“If they don’t want to play on Wednesday there’s something wrong with them, tomorrow is were the physio will be working on players then we’ll go into training, Tuesday we have analysts via Zoom then we play again Wednesday. Then analysts Thursday and then we go again Sunday.

Suey’s come off with a hamstring tweak, she wants the physio to work now so can train tomorrow, I said calm down, let’s get fit and healthy, that’s what the girls are like they want to play. We talk about belief, I want them to believe, believe in themselves and believe in the system and believe they can win and we’re getting there,” said Costello.

Buy your tickets here and be apart of something great, watch live football and have a great day out.

“It’s the Hull City Ladies Revolution, get part of it, tell people in the City of Hull that you want to watch a good game of football then be part of this as these girls grafting and working so hard,” said Costello.

*Written by Alex Robinson

** Photograph by Tony King