Kaminski: We've shown great progress and development
Laura Kaminski praised her Crystal Palace side after their historic 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the fifth round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup saw the Eagles progress to a first-ever quarter-final in the competition.
Speaking to the media after the game, Kaminski said: "It's amazing, it's a credit to the players that have been in and around this season and also from a club perspective.
"The investment and support from the club has shown through to make this happen."
Palace secured their place in the quarter-finals with a strong second-half performance, something Kaminski was keen to emphasise after a sluggish first 45 minutes.
"Sometimes our results this season have been so narrow that progress has been overlooked.
"At the end of the day, we've taken no points in some league games, but week-by-week, the group and the club are making real strides," she said.
One of the game’s standout moments was the return of Elise Hughes, who made her first appearance since injury.
"It was a great opportunity to get her on. Elise has shown great strength in training. She’s a fantastic finisher and has worked hard for this moment," Kaminski said.
Another key performer was new signing Allyson Swaby, who made an immediate impact.
She said: "Five minutes ago, she was in Milan! She’s had a quick turnaround but handled it very well. Some of her passes showed real class and experience.
"She's been very focused, asking some really good questions and also very thorough on her detail, which is great to see and will add a lot of value to us."
Reflecting on the match, Kaminski acknowledged Newcastle's resilience.
She said: "I've been on the other side of this—when you go up against a WSL side, you make yourself extremely hard to beat. We had to stay patient and grind them down.
"Respect to Newcastle, they fought for a long period of the game. I thought we dealt with their counter-attacks really well in moments.
"First half, they had some good chances, and I thought they actually looked like the better side. And I said that at half time. I wasn't shy in saying that."
Despite a thoroughly positive day at the office, there were two notable absences in the team, namely Hayley Nolan and captain Aimee Everett.
On their absence, Kaminski said: "Aimee was on the end of a bad tackle at Brighton. She's come out of that worse for wear.
"We're now going to support her with the next steps of her injury. It looks to be a little bit more long-term.
"Hayley has picked up a niggle in training, which we'll be managing through in the coming weeks."
With Palace now in the quarter-finals, Kaminski believes the squad is in a strong position to push forward.
She said: "One win [in the WSL] will tip it for us. There's no reason why we can't kick on for the second half of the season and fight for survival in this league."
Palace now have the tough task of an away trip to Manchester United in the Barclays Women's Super League, kicking off at 12:00 GMT on the 16th February, and you can get tickets for that game here!