A delighted Scott Booth shared his thoughts at full-time after he earned his first win as AFC Women manager that also saw his side earn their spot in the Semi-final of the Sky Sports Cup.

“It was as challenging as we expected. They’re a strong side, and they caused us problems, catching us off guard early in the game. It was a disappointing goal for us to concede, but we managed to get back into the game. In the first half, we didn’t trouble them too much, and I had a few words with the players at halftime. I felt we were a bit passive, especially in possession. We needed to assert ourselves more and show greater authority in the game.”

“The response in the second half was excellent. The players deserve credit for coming from behind, especially after the last week they’ve had. It hasn’t been easy for them. It would have been easy to let their heads drop, especially given the physical toll of playing two tough games in one week. But they rallied, and even though we got that first goal, we continued to push for more.”

“I stressed that to improve, we needed to keep possession better and not give the ball away as easily as we did in the first half. I wanted the team to take pride in wearing the jersey, representing the club well, and inspiring fans to come to our games. I think the desire they showed in the second half was exactly what we want to see at Aberdeen.”

“You can see we’re working hard to implement our approach, and the second goal was a great example of that quality. Fran did fantastic work down the side, and Darcie scored an excellent header. It’s not often you see goals like that in the women’s game; she rose so high and made strong contact. It was a brilliant all-around goal.”

“Niamh’s goal, direct from a corner, has become a bit of a trademark for her. While we’d been practicing other setups, I certainly wasn’t complaining when the ball went straight into the net. Overall, it was fantastic to secure the win.”

“These opportunities (playing in Semi-finals) aren’t handed to you; they’re earned through hard work. Despite the challenges of the past week, every player has given their all to contribute, and they deserve credit for that. With no midweek game, it’ll be nice to have some time to regroup and focus on training. This week, I’ll have the chance to speak to more players, get to know them, and connect with the staff. It’s been a hectic seven days, but now we have a moment to breathe and build on today’s performance.”