Poland point to prosperous future

She may only be 16 but midfielder Katarzyna Jackowska is mature enough to know that she will be better for the experience after Poland's maiden UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship was ended by a one-sided 4-0 defeat by France on Monday.

'Disappointed'
There is never really a night time in Reykjavik, the most northerly capital city in the world, yet Poland managed to slip away from the tournament barely noticed at 04.30 this morning. They have made an impact, however, most notably coming within a minute of beating England in their opening Group B fixture. Only Fern Whelan's dramatic 94th-minute equaliser denied them and it was a blow Robert Góralczyk's side never really recovered from. A tiring team lost 2-0 to Spain before being swept aside by Les Bleuettes – an outing that left Jackowska perplexed. "I'm disappointed," she said. "I'm not quite sure what was wrong with us but our performance was generally poor."

Experience
For most observers, including the youngster's coach, the problem was fatigue as Poland struggled to cope with a third match in six days. It was a situation exacerbated by the soggy conditions but the adage that defeat makes us a better and a stronger person is one Jackowska seems determined to adhere to. "This is the first time I have experienced an environment like this, so it was great to be here," said the KS AZS Wrocław midfielder. "I've learned that you have to fight, not surrender and play until the final whistle."

'Only the start'
Such sentiments will impress her coach Góralczyk, who believes this championship in Iceland will act as a springboard for success in the women's game in his homeland. "This is only the start and better times for Polish football lie ahead," said the 33-year-old, whose side beat 2005 champions Russia to seal a place in the tournament. "At the moment we are better than the teams in the first and second qualifying rounds but not as good as the other teams at these finals."

Breakthrough
For a country with just 3,500 registered female players (Germany have more than 800,000), bridging that gap could be a tough task but Jackowska is focused on doing what she can. Asked if she would take a break on her return home she was adamant she would not, insisting: "I will return to practice with my home club." They may have sneaked out early this morning but having made their breakthrough, Poland could be here to stay in women's international football.