A chance this week to grab some time with Cathy Corr, and we did that straight after the historic Women’s FA Cup victory.
“I’m over the moon – first ever women’s team to make an FA cup game.. and I am delighted to be making history again!
It was a fantastic afternoon for us. To go away from home, perform well and then keep our heads during the penalty shootout was a really pleasing sign of the character in the group. These are the moments you remember, and the players showed real composure when it mattered. Getting through to the next round is a great reward for them all, and they deserve it. The effort going in week in and week out at training is really showing on the field.
Our next round is at home against (New Street) Andover on Sunday 6th September and we would love a huge turn out from the supporters. It’s the first ever FA Cup game to played at home for the ladies’ team and is something none of us will ever forget, so the help of the crowd will be very much appreciated.”
As for the league season..
“The step up to Division One is a big challenge. We know the standard will be higher and there will be some very good, established teams in the division, but that is exactly what we wanted. We have worked hard to get ourselves into this position and are looking forward to testing ourselves at the next level. I don’t think we will be overawed by it. We will concentrate on what we can control and take each game as it comes.
There has been quite a bit of change (in the squad), but we have also managed to retain a really good core from last season. Recruitment has been about quality rather than simply numbers. We wanted players who would improve the squad, fit into the way we want to play and, importantly, fit into the team environment we have built. The players who have come in have settled well so far, which is encouraging.
I’m not going to tell you to look out for a specific player or players, I would say keep an eye on the whole group rather than putting too much pressure on one individual. I am pleased to say we have a lot of players who can make an impact, and one of our strengths last season was that goals and good performances came from different areas of the team.
That competition for places should hopefully bring the best out of everyone. We also have a lot of young talent coming through who are working hard at developing themselves and this will only add value to the overall strategy for the year.
Ultimately, the main thing for us this season is to enjoy the challenge. We have come a long way in a short space of time. Back-to-back league titles and now Division One football, and we want to keep developing as a team and see just how far we can take it.”
