It’s a tough one to take. For 83 minutes the girls were outstanding. They performed admirably, worked really, really hard, gave everything we’ve asked of them, and implemented the game plan exactly as we set out. We were disciplined, organised, and fully deserving of being right in the match at that stage.
Unfortunately, the referee’s decision to award them a penalty—one that, having watched it back and even knowing in the moment, simply wasn’t a penalty—completely changed the game. To go 1–0 down like that was incredibly harsh on the girls. After that, we had to put all our eggs in one basket, push bodies forward, and chase the equaliser. Naturally, that left us open, and we were caught for their second. That made it 2–0, and in truth, the scoreline didn’t reflect the girls’ efforts whatsoever.
But regardless of the result, we’re immensely proud. Proud to reach this round and make history for the club, and proud of the performance on the day. Their endeavour and effort were exceptional—they deserved more from that football match.
Now we have to take that momentum into the league this week. We face Coventry Sphinx at home, and after losing to them away—a result we were disappointed with—we know how important this next match is. We need the girls to lean on the performance, the work rate, and the belief they showed on Sunday and bring that into this week. A league win would be huge for us and a real testament to the players and what they deserve.
We regroup, we go again, and we take the fight into the league.
