Kaminski: We have closed the gap and given ourselves a chance
Speaking to the media after the game, head coach Laura Kaminski reflected on Crystal Palace Women’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, praising her side’s resilience.
She said: “It was a bit of a frantic second half. There was a lot going on in the game.
“I thought we showed great grit, resilience, and we had the opportunity towards the end because Brighton went down to ten. We showed some flexibility and a real forward-thinking approach. We reacted well to that.
“We're really happy to take something away, there's no doubt about it. But for us, we want to win games. That’s still at the forefront of our attention, and we need to make that a priority. Disappointed not to take all three home.”
Palace left it late, but My Cato’s crucial 88th-minute strike secured a point for the Eagles and Kaminski was full of praise for the midfielder’s impact.
“She was outstanding. We've asked her to put a little bit more pressure on people, a little more contact. She’s pressing with real belief now, and some of her dribbles and carries in midfield really helped us.
“I'm delighted for her because she deserves it. Week in, week out, we get 100% out of My, and she deserves that moment,” she said.
An added positive was the return of Elise Hughes to the Palace squad after her long term injury. New signing Ria Öling also made the bench for the first time this season.
Kaminski said: “The squad's starting to grow, which is great. After the window, we've now got some numbers in, and that’s making training really competitive.
No minutes today for Elise or Ria, but there’s an opportunity next week to get them on the pitch.”
Sunday's result earns Palace their first point in the WSL of 2025, and Kaminski was happy to see the team finally get rewarded after the recent spell of misfortune.
She said: “This stops the rot for us a little bit. We had a run where we weren’t picking up anything, despite giving our all.
"Last week against Spurs really hurt—95th minute—that can deflate you. But again, reset and go again.
“It’s easy to say, but doing that week in, week out is tough. This team can fight. This team can fight for the club.
"And today, overall, we’re happy with the performance. We know we need that little extra push, but we’ve closed the gap and given ourselves a chance.”
Kaminski will now turn her sights to the Adobe Women's FA Cup, where Palace host Newcastle United in the fifth round at 13:00 on Sunday, 9th February.