Opal Rayner | I want to keep proving myself
Goalkeeper Opal Rayner is keen to add more senior minutes to her tally after helping Swansea City Women progress to the quarter-finals of the Genero Adran Trophy with a 1-0 victory over Barry Town United.
A second-half goal from Maisie Miller secured the Swans' place in the last eight, although the hosts had opportunities to extend their advantage, with Miller and Jess Williams having goals disallowed in the first half, while a series of impressive saves from Barry goalkeeper Molly Arnesen kept the scoreline at 1-0.
Rayner also played an important role in the victory, producing a crucial save early in the contest to deny Sienna Stone in a one-on-one situation while the scores were still level, preventing the visitors from taking a lead that could have changed the complexion of the match.
It was a first senior start of the season for Rayner, who marked the occasion with a clean sheet, taking her tally to six shutouts in just nine senior appearances for the Swans.
The goalkeeper featured regularly for the under-19s last season while continuing to train with the senior squad, gaining valuable experience as she looked to further her development and establish herself at senior level.
Rayner was delighted to be handed an opportunity by head coach Yzzy Taylor and praised the determination and belief shown by her teammates to keep pushing for a breakthrough, despite the frustration of having two goals ruled out in the first half.
“I think everyone worked really well as a team, especially after having two goals disallowed in the first half. To come back out in the second half with even more desire to get that goal and secure our place in the quarter-finals was really pleasing," she said.
“I think in games like that it can be easy to switch off, so it was important for me to keep my concentration because one moment could have turned the game on its head. I was really happy to make that save.
“I'm delighted to have been given the chance to start, and even more so to keep a clean sheet. I feel I've improved a lot over pre-season, so I'm really happy to have been given this opportunity.
“I've been training with the first team for a while now, and it's helped me improve massively. The standard is a lot different compared to the under-19s, so I've been facing a higher standard of player, which has helped me gain confidence and improve my ability significantly.
“I've really enjoyed working with Yzzy [Taylor]. She's helped me develop as a player, and the fact that she's willing to give us younger players a chance makes a difference because we know we have someone who believes in us.
“I just want to build, keep improving and hopefully earn more starts. I'm grateful for the trust Yzzy has shown in me, and I want to keep proving myself whenever I get the opportunity.”