St Mirren Women midfielder Jennifer Caldwell believes a winning finale to crown their top-six finish this weekend will prove just how far the club have come.
After a difficult campaign last season which saw the Saints finish bottom-third of the SWF League One table, St Mirren head into Sunday’s Paisley derby with Gleniffer Thistle knowing a top-half finish has already been safely secured time around.
Head coach Kate Cooper’s much-improved Buddies have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround of fortunes this year and know a win this weekend will see them sitting fifth ahead of the split.
And former Celtic and Rangers player Caldwell insists they’ve got their sights set on more upsets when they face off against the division’s top five teams next month.
Caldwell said: “It’s really exciting times ahead for the club and us as players.
“The progress from last year to this year has just been so good. The intensity is so high now and training has kicked on to another level.
“The team is so strong and together and there’s a great ethos around the club. There’s a great atmosphere and now it’s about seeing how far we can go.
“We’ve been through a lot of highs and lows together and I think that’s what’s bonded the team so tightly together.
“I’m delighted we’re in the top six because you want to be playing the best teams all the time and being under that pressure to perform. That’s when you learn the most about yourself as a player and as a team.
“I’m predicting a few shocks in the remaining games. I think people feel we’ve lost our momemtum a bit after a couple of defeats, but we’re still so positive and on our day we’ve shown we can beat anyone in this league.”
Caldwell has greatly enjoyed the family feel around the Saints this season, having just given birth to her son Arran when she first joined the club back in March, 2018.
Five years later, the Saints have developed massively and Caldwell is looking forward to inspiring the next generation again with another match at the SMiSA Stadium lined up for next month.
Caldwell said: “It’s amazing to think how far the club has come since my first game back in 2018.
“The squad and the coaching staff have come on leaps and bounds and the structure here now is night and day to what it used to be.
“The professionalism is right up there and that’s a credit to all the staff and especially Kate who has worked so hard for so long.
“It was such a great occasion the last time we played at the SMiSA. We were underdogs but thoroughly deserved the win and to play in front of so many people was outstanding.
“A lot of the players had their kids walk out with them, myself included, which was a really special moment.
“We’re always aiming to inspire the next generation and there will definitely be an extra buzz in the build-up to that game, We’ll all want to be in the starting XI and that will only help push the standards up even higher.”
READ MORE:
Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
