Watford’s Renee Hector insists she and her team-mates are targeting a top-four finish in this year’s FA WSL 2.
The Golden Girls finished seventh last season but it could have been a lot higher were it not for a disappointing end to the season.
Hector and Co. only won once in their last 10 games in all competitions, including a six-game losing streak that ran between August and September.
Watford's first five
Oxford United (A), 19 March
Aston Villa (H), 28 March
Reading (A), 2 April
Millwall Lionesses (H), 19 April
Everton (H), 26 April
Before that slump, Watford had proved themselves more than capable of a top-half finish and, with a strong pre-season under their belt, Hector is targeting a big step up in 2015.
She said: “I definitely think that changes and improvements can be made.
“We started off the season OK, then we found our feet and started to win a few games on the trot which was absolutely great. At one point I think we were as high as third.
“But that just made it an even more difficult pill to swallow because after all the momentum that we had got going from our run, we then ended up of losing so many games which was tough.
“We lost plenty of games on the bounce and the longer that goes on it is always going to be hard to get the first win.
“But for a first season in the Super League with a very young squad there are definitely positives for us to take out of it.
“With a big pre-season behind us we can hopefully make that step-up.
“First and foremost the goal is to improve on seventh from last season. I really believe that we can make the top four.
“This is definitely a team that is good enough.”
Watford have suffered a blow to their leadership with the retirement of captain and goalkeeper Lauren Davey due to injuries.
But Hector believes her team, who begin their League campaign against Oxford United on Thursday 19 March, are prepared to make up for that loss, both on and off the pitch.
Hector added: “Lauren is a huge loss for us, not just as a player but as a person.
“Since I was a teenager at the club she has been here. She’s got a great personality and hopefully she will still be around the club, even if that is not in a playing capacity.
“Replacing Lauren in goal is always going to be tough but Rebecca Bull has come in and trained with us last season so we have had some time to get used to playing with her.
“Apart from Lauren I am normally one of the louder players in the team, even though I am quite young. It has always been something I do and it will be an honour to continue to do the same.
“We all need to try and step up because from a leadership point of view she will be a big miss for us.”
And after impressing many observers with their run to a second-place finish in the 2012-13 FA Women’s Premier League season, Hector wants to summon the spirit of that campaign this time around.
She said: “When we came second in the Premier League we had a fantastic team spirit and that came from our pre-season.
“There are other areas for us to work on as well, we definitely did not score enough goals last season for one.
“And I don’t think we have conceded as many goals as that in a season for a while.
“I’m not sure if the manager plans to bring in other new players but the squad will hopefully a lot more stable this time around and that team unity could be crucial.”
Watford’s first competitive match of the season is an FA Women’s Cup Third Round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
