Sion Swifts Ladies have become established as one of the leading clubs in the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership in recent years.
Having won promotion to the top flight in 2015, they won the Irish Women’s Challenge Cup two years later and in 2019, they missed out on the league title on the final day on goal difference to Linfield Ladies.
The Strabane-based club secured a third-placed finish last campaign, but this season has proved more difficult, with just one point from their opening six games to date.
For the third successive season, Sion are fielding a virtually new team due to a huge turnover in players, with club captain Tasmin McCarter one of the select group of longstanding players at the club.
McCarter - who has been at the club since its inception a decade ago - admits that the rebuilding process can makes things difficult but did point to the club’s youth ranks to illustrate that the future for the club has much more stability. There are 12 teenagers in the club's first-team squad this campaign.
The 28-year-old said: “It has been hard over the years, especially when you are trying to regroup and constantly building new sides.
“For each of the past few close seasons there has been virtually a new squad of players coming in and that takes time and patience.
“But everyone is confident of where we are going and we will get there.
“Now we have such a great youth setup that has not been the case in previous years.
“It’s exciting times for the club to be bringing in our own youth stars rather than signing more experienced, older players from elsewhere.
“Now I would be one of the older players in the group and I probably have a different role in that sense to help bring others on.”
This year also saw a change in coaching staff, with boss Tony McGinley - who has since returned to the dugout - temporarily taking a step back.
Institute coach Paul McLauglin arrived as first-team coach with Tony Blake as the goalkeeping coach and James Feehan - formerly coach of Newry’s Ladies side - also joining.
McCarter added: “The changes in coaching staff meant we all had to adapt to new faces and they needed time to get used to the club and the players.
“Especially with the restrictions at the start of the season and before that, things were not easy.
“Tony is back at the club now and that is obviously a big boost because he has been about the club so long that a lot of the players tend to rely on him to act as a focal point.
“He is the key man and we are hoping that him and the rest of the coaching staff will take us back to that level.”
Furthermore, Sion’s small squad has been stretched by injuries and absentees to date.
“It has been a disappointing start to the campaign and a difficult one, with players out injured - but now we have a full squad for Wednesday,” continued McCarter.
“Our main striker has been out injured all season and we have had other senior players out injured such as Leah (McGonagle) which has made it tougher.
“This is such a young squad and we are still trying to work out what the best way is to play and where everyone is best suited - that will take time.
“It is a long season and everyone knows that, so there is no panic.”
Wednesday night would be the ideal time for Sion to secure their first three points of the campaign as they play host to Derry City Women.
The Candystripes secured a shock 1-0 win over their rivals at the Brandywell earlier this season, with Sion now out for revenge at Melvin.
“There has always been that rivalry between the clubs and we are up for the game,” insisted McCarter.
“It’s great to be at home in that match too with all the supporters behind us too.
“We believe one result can help turn around our season and to get a first win would hopefully set us off along the right path.”
