Cuthbert: Maybe I have been trying too hard to score
Erin Cuthbert scored the first goal in Chelsea’s 2-1 win away at Lewes in the Continental Tyres Cup on Saturday to keep the Blues top of Group D – skipper Magdalena Eriksson struck a late goal to seal the victory, writes Paul Lagan.
Scotland international Cuthbert was critical of the waterlogged pitch but delighted with the spirit within the team.
She said: “I’m so happy. I feel like it’s been a little bit of a burden on me (not scoring yet this season). Maybe I have been trying too hard.
“I’m not a big goalscorer and I don’t judge myself on how many I get.
But of course it’s nice to score because I scored a little bit last season and I want to at least match my goals last season, so it’s nice to get off the mark.”
Of the game on the south coast, she said: “The pitch was waterlogged, the wind and rain played a big factor because we do like to switch play a lot. But the conditions were the same for both teams and we had a professional performance despite the weather.
“Credit to Lewes, I’m not surprised by the result by any means, Emma (Hayes) had warned us this week this is what happens when WSL teams go and play against them because Reading only beat them 3-2, so we knew it was going to be a really tough game.
“They are a very organised club, we knew what we were getting into and of course the weather conditions only hampered us in terms of how we usually perform but we don’t make excuses and we just found a way to win.”
Cuthbert heads off to join her international team-mates as the domestic season takes a break.
When the table-topping Blues return, they will face Manchester United at Kingsmeadow in the WSL1.
Cuthbert said: “Manchester United will be a tough side. We know it’s going to be a massive test for us so we need to be at the top of our game.
“Last season the international breaks came at the wrong time for us, we used to hit form before the international break but it seems to me that it doesn’t matter when they are now because we have got ourselves in a momentum of winning games and I think that’s really important to keep up.
“We just need to make sure that everyone stays fit and comes back healthy after the international break.”
The Manchester United clash on Sunday, November 17 kicks off at 2pm and tickets are just £1 for juniors (Under-20) and seniors (over 65) and adults £9.
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