Deanna Cooper
Image by: Geoff Penn
PUBLISHED
06:00 9th September 2015
by James Hilsum
We managed to beat them twice last season, which you take confidence from, but both sides have changed since then. "
Deanna Cooper
Deanna Cooper
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Brighton & Hove Albion women’s centre-back Deanna Cooper is aiming for another defensive record this season.
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Albion have yet to concede a goal in their four games so far this year and boasted the best defence in the league in 2014/15, something which Cooper is eager to continue going into the current campaign.
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She told seagulls.co.uk, “It’s been a really good start for us, but I don’t think that any of the girls would say our performances have been as good as we would’ve liked.
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“But the fact that we’ve got two wins and a draw in the league is brilliant. We’ve kept four clean sheets as well and our aim is to keep as many of those as possible.
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“If the opposition doesn’t score, then we can’t lose and that is something which we have taken into this season.
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“Last year as a team we managed to concede the fewest goals in the league, which made us very proud. If we keep our shape right, then we’ll always be hard to break down.”
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Cooper turned her attentions to tonight’s Sussex derby against Lewes at Culver Road, and the defender admitted there is always added spice to a match between two local rivals.
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“There’s always a little bit more pressure on us to win in a local derby because the girls from both teams know each other and it makes the game more competitive, which is always good.
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“We managed to beat them twice last season, which you take confidence from, but both sides have changed since then.
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“We’ve made a few new signings who have been brilliant for us this season and they’ve made a few new signings as well.
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“Some we know about and some we don’t, so it will be interesting when we get to the game tonight.”
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One of Cooper’s teammates in the heart of Albion’s defence is her sister Catherine and she says it always a special moment for their family when the pair don the blue-and-white-stripes.
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“It’s brilliant to be playing alongside her. Last year was our first full season together in a women’s senior side. She’s now managed to kick on and get a more permanent space in the team.
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“We’ve been playing well together and hopefully we can continue to do that because it’s nice for our mum to see.”
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Entry on the gate for Sunday’s game is priced at £3 for adults and £1 for under-16s and OAPs.
[h=3]ALBION V HULL CITY*
[/h]SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V ROTHERHAM UNITED*
[/h]TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
[h=3]ALBION V CARDIFF CITY
[/h]SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
Original article