Ahead of our Women’s First Team game at Blundell Park against Chesterfield FC Women (2pm KO), Meg Garbutt sat down with striker Beth Wharton to talk about her journey from joining the team when it was first formed in 2019, to the squad this season and her passion for the game.

Beth Wharton is one of four players who are still at the Club since it was formed back in 2019, alongside Olivia Kershaw, Alisha Dejonge and Ellie Wilson.

6 years down the line, now 22, Beth has experienced promotion, relegation, playing at Blundell Park on numerous occasions and everything in between as a Mariner.

The striker surpassed 50 goals in black and white earlier this season and is hungry for more as she looks ahead to Sunday’s game at Blundell Park.

“There’s been many positives this season,” when Wharton was asked how she’s finding the 2024-25 campaign so far. “We’re definitely playing much better football and have more direction coaching wise and tactically compared to last season.”

Ben Challen’s side were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw away from home against Notts County Women Development on Sunday, meaning the Mariners sit five points below Gainsborough Trinity in the top spot of the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Division One North.

“We currently sit second in the League, which is a positive position, however due to our result on Sunday being a draw, the gap between us and first has increased slightly.

“We just need to stay focused and do all we can to give us the best chance for promotion.

“Promotion is one of the goals, and because of the season we had last year, this campaign is a big learning curve because a lot has changed and just making sure that we’re trusting the process.

“Ben’s main goal is for every player to have improved by the end of the season and I think he’s already achieved that at this stage.”

Beth joined the Mariners at 16 having previously played for Cleethorpes Town and Doncaster Belles and hit half a century of goals in this season’s victory over Belper United in the League Cup.

“The journey has been crazy I won’t lie. It’s very strange looking back at old photos when it was first set up when I was 16, and there’s still a few of us here.”

“I feel like the club started in a positive position and then hit a bit of a wall in the last couple of seasons, but I think we’re massively improving and it’s a massive boost for us going forward.”

“Playing in the Premier Division last season was a lot different to the league we’re in now; it’s a lot tougher, but I believe the squad we have now is more than good enough to compete in that League, with the progression we’ve made already.

With 14 goals to her name already this season, Beth is the Club’s and the league’s leading goal-scorer, with her teammates not expecting that to change throughout the duration of the season.

“I don’t tend to set goals too far into the future, I just say to myself I want to try and get a goal every game or I want to at least be involved in the goals that are scored, because even though I’m a striker and my job is to score goals, I just love to be involved as long as the team is winning.

“I’d describe myself as I won’t stop or give up until the final whistle is blown. I like to run off the shoulders of defenders to create chances for myself and I think that’s what a typical Beth Wharton goal looks like; staying on the defenders and being slotted through and then just having the keeper to beat.

The Mariners ended what was a disappointing League campaign last time out with silverware as they beat HBW Ladies 10-1 to lift the Lincolnshire FA County Plate in May.

“It was a good way to end a sub-standard season. It’s always good to get silverware.”

“I think we were in a bit of a rut, and it did lift our spirits at the end of a disappointing season.”

There’s been goals from all over the pitch already so far, with eleven other players finding the back of the net as well as Beth.

“I absolutely love seeing my teammates score and I love being involved in the build-up play that leads to the ball finding the back of the net.

“I always want to impact the game in some way, whether that’s scoring or assisting. I just love seeing the ball in the back of the opposition’s net, however it’s gone in.

“I think Ben is the best Head Coach we’ve had since the team was formed, from training sessions to standards.”

Watch Beth and her teammates in action on Sunday at Blundell Park at 2pm. Click here to buy tickets or visit the Blundell Park Ticket Office between 10am-4pm on weekdays. Alternatively you can pay on the gate.

UTM