Bristol City interim boss Matt Beard says the club has the foundations to do well next season after being relegated from the Women's Super League.

Beard has been covering Tanya Oxtoby's maternity leave since January.

City's two WSL wins this term both came during Beard's tenure and he also led them to the Women's League Cup final.

"I think we've proved over the course of the second half of the season that we can compete at this level," Beard told BBC Radio Bristol.

"There are a lot of young players in this team and there are great foundations, a good core group here, some good young players.

"If you look at the Continental Cup games they were quite comfortable against some of the Championship teams.

"As long as we can keep the core group together then they'll be fine."
Final-day built up a 'bit too much' - Beard

Former West Ham manager Beard took over with the club four points adrift at the foot of the WSL with a goal difference of -39, having lost eight and drawn two of their opening 10 games.

Beard guided them to two wins from his first five matches in charge as they moved off the bottom of the table on 8 March.

But that was as good as it got as City failed to win any of their final seven matches and they return to the second tier after four seasons in the top flight.

Had they beaten Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday they would have survived by a point and sent Birmingham City down - but a 3-1 loss to the Seagulls sealed their fate.

"Unfortunately for us it was maybe a little built up too much," added Beard.

"We deserve credit for getting ourselves in this position, and I'm desperately disappointed for the players and everyone who has put the work in.

"We've proved that we can play at this level, our players have proved that they deserve to be at this level.

"When I came in everyone had already written the club off so we've given absolutely everything to try to stay in the division."