Charlton Women’s midfielder Charley Clifford admitted her side are well aware of the magnitude of their clash with south London rivals Crystal Palace at Hayes Lane on Thursday night (8pm).
“I think most of them do [know the importance of the fixture],” explained the 28-year-old. “Obviously we’ve got a couple that are from [Crystal] Palace anyway so they know how big it is, and I’m sure there’s a few of us that can drill that into some of the newbies and some of the youngsters that aren’t quite aware of it.
“It’s always a big game, it’s going to be huge. They are only one spot ahead of us in the table so it’s a big game, especially for us as well with where we come from and what’s going on with the club.”
The fixture will mark the start of a new era for Charlton under head coach Karen Hills, who has an abundance of firsthand derby experience gained during her playing days with the Addicks and then from her 11-year tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, and Clifford explained the mood in camp is wholly positive.
“We’ve got quite good vibes at the minute,” revealed Charlton’s number eight. “Everyone is quite happy. Everyone is trying to stay positive and we’re just focussing on the next five games and making sure that we stay in the league.”
Thursday’s match is available to watch for free via the club’s official YouTube channel.