Mon 7 Sep 2026, 9:32
Nadene Caldwell says Glentoran Women must maintain their focus and momentum when they face Linfield in the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership at Blanchflower Stadium this evening (kick-off 7.45pm).
Kim Turner’s side returned to winning ways with an impressive 4-0 victory over Lisburn Ladies at the Bluebell Stadium on Friday night.
Caldwell opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, finding the top corner from 25 yards, before Demi Vance scored directly from a corner five minutes before half-time.
Naomi McLaughlin and Emily Wilson added further goals after the break to complete a commanding performance.
It was an important response from the Glens following their narrow defeat against Cliftonville, and Caldwell believes the performance underlined the character and determination within the squad.
“It was important that we returned to winning ways as quickly as possible after the defeat to Cliftonville,” said Caldwell.
“It would have been easy to allow that disappointment to affect us, but this group has a lot more character than that.
“Whenever we have suffered a setback, we have rallied together and worked hard to get ourselves back on track.
“You are always going to experience disappointments in football, but what matters is how you respond. This group is hungry to learn and determined to continue improving.
“We showed our quality against Lisburn, produced a strong team performance and came away with the three points.
“Now we have to take that into Monday night. It is our final game in hand, so we understand the importance of making the opportunity count.
“Our focus between now and the end of the season has to remain firmly on ourselves. We want to keep performing, collect as many points as possible and finish the campaign strongly.”
Glentoran are unbeaten in their two previous meetings with Linfield this season. The sides drew 2-2 in the league before the Glens secured a 2-1 victory in the Irish Cup quarter-final at the end of July.
Caldwell expects another fiercely contested encounter but believes Glentoran possess the character and quality required to deliver another positive result.
“The rivalry between Glentoran and Linfield means this fixture always carries something extra,” she said.
“As players, these are the games you want to be involved in. There is an added excitement around a derby, and we know exactly what the fixture means to everyone connected with the Club.
“Our two meetings this season have been very competitive. We showed a lot of heart to come back from 2-0 down and earn a point in the league and we showed that character again to come out on top in the Irish Cup quarter-final.
“We know we will need those qualities again on Monday night.
“We have won five of our last six matches, scored plenty of goals and played some fantastic football along the way.
“We want to carry that form forward, keep pushing one another and see where it takes us.”
Caldwell has also made an important contribution in front of goal, scoring three times in her last seven appearances. Her stunning opener against Lisburn followed another superb finish against Cliftonville in the previous fixture.
“It is always nice to get on the scoresheet, but the most important thing is helping the team win matches,” added the midfielder.
“My main aim is to contribute to the team in any way I can and help us win games. Scoring is a bonus.
“There is so much quality in the squad, together with a lot of talented young players who are continuing to grow and develop.
“We have already experienced highs and lows this season, but those experiences will stand us in good stead as we approach the remainder of the campaign.”
