Sunderland Ladies manager Carlton Fairweather believes his side can secure a top two finish this season and Champions League football.
The Lady Black Cats suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Manchester City on Sunday evening, a loss which means they sit six points behind leaders Chelsea with two games to go.
However, Fairweather believes it is all still to play for.
Manager "disappointed" with City defeat
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo after his side's unsuccessful trip to the Academy Stadium on Sunday, Fairweather admitted that he was "disappointed with the goal" Sunderland conceded.
Isobel Christiansen was the scorer, the midfielder putting on another lively performance, one which has earned her her first senior England call-up for the country's opening Euro 2017 qualifier against Estonia later this month.
The goal came from a Sunderland attack, however, with Brooke Chaplen coming close at the other end, before City broke through Krystle Johnston who, completely unchallenged, delivered a telling cross for the unmarked Christiansen to head home from 12 yards.
Fairweather expressed his frustration with the poor goal, noting particularly that the scorer was "running off one of [Sunderland's] midfielders," which she should not have been allowed to do.
Though the manager admitted he was "pleased with the way [his team] played" and also with the "fantastic attitude the players showed," with him believing the Lady Black Cats "did enough to get something" from the game, he thinks that they "needed to be a bit more clinical in and around the final third." This, Fairweather believes, "was the different in the game."
Fairweather remains positive ahead of final two games
However, the former Wimbledon man is positive as Sunderland head into their final two fixtures of the season, having been eliminated from the FA WSL Continental Cup.
The team are playing their first season in the top flight this year, having won the WSL 2 title in 2014, and their main target was to avoid relegation. Yet, they have defied all expectations to become the league's surprise package - a top two challenge would have been a crazy thought when the campaign kicked off in March.
One of the big reasons for this success in 2015 has been the performances Sunderland have but in against the big guns, most notably a 4-0 victory over then and now leaders Chelsea.
Fairweather believes that Sunday's display was another good one, as his team caused City "some problems," creating "a couple of opportunities and some half chances." This shows that when they "play the other top sides, [they] can get something" and the manager is confident that "if [the team] play like that in the final two games," then they will "get points."
Champions League is the aim
These points will be crucial for Sunderland if they want to live up to their manager's bold expectations - a Champions League place finish.
At the moment, Sunderland are fourth in the race for European football, with Manchester City the favourites to claim second, if they don't manage to catch Chelsea first, that is.
Chelsea sit top of the standings, with Manchester City five points behind - albeit, boasting a game in hand. Arsenal are then level on points with City, though having played a game more, and Sunderland are a point behind the Gunners.
Reigning champions Liverpool may not be able to retain their crown this season, but they will have a big say in who steals it from them, with them to play City on Thursday and Chelsea later this month. Sunderland's two remaining fixtures, however, are against two of the top four - Arsenal and Chelsea.
Maximum points from their final two games will be the target, whilst they hope that City slip up elsewhere. Still, the former is the focus, with Fairweather stating that his team have to "get some points that can get [them] that Champions League spot."
He concedes that "the title is now out of [their] hands," but believes that "the Champions League is possible." Though most teams may stop pushing so hard once accepting that they cannot win the league, the manager said that his team "have a duty to give [their] best for the integrity of the league," as well as for themselves.
International break comes at a good time for the Lady Black Cats
Another factor that could work in Sunderland's favour is the upcoming international break.
The break is already underway for Fairweather's side, with City and Liverpool the one remaining league fixture before it properly starts for the WSL 1, and he believes that it comes at a perfect time for his team.
The manager said that "it's a welcome break" as it gives his team "the chance to get players fit." He revealed that they "had two or three players who were playing injured" at the weekend, and so time off "will be helpful" to get these players "back to full fitness again."
Sunderland will not be missing many players during the three week interval either, with their star striker, and the league's top-scorer with 11 goals in 12 games, Beth Mead, a very notable omission in Mark Sampson's England squad.
However, Fairweather is sure to see the positives in this, as the importance of keeping his goal machine fit and firing for the final, and most important, two games of the season cannot be understated.
Many of his team's rivals for the top two spots will be without numerous players for the next few weeks too - City, Arsenal and Chelsea making up for 15 of Sampson's 23.
Stephanie Roche could yet be called up for the Republic of Ireland's opening clash with Finland, whilst goalkeeper Hilde Gunn Olsen is a good shout to make Norway's squad to play Kazakhstan, the under-23 international in with a chance of making the jump to senior level with her country's first and second choice 'keepers now at the ages of 35 and 32, respectively.
Still, the Black Cats will retain the majority of their squad regardless, and will look to make the most of this before the league resumes later this month.