The women’s season has been a struggle, to say the least, but thankfully they have been able to mathematically keep themselves from the drop and are now looking at the chance of actual silverware. Liverpool Women host Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in the semi-final round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup at St. Helen’s Stadium, and after all of the losses both on and off the pitch, the excitement for some real glory is tangible.
“We are really excited obviously,” Women’s captain Grace Fisk told the club
website on Friday.
“We’ve had a big week of training and we’ve been working really hard. We just can’t wait to get going again on Sunday at St Helens.”
It goes without saying that a win on Sunday would put Liverpool Women in the final for the tournament at Wembley Stadium, a trophy that has eluded the women’s arm of the club for it’s entire history. Even Everton and Manchester United have won it, and Liverpool have gotten close – reaching this same round last season – but haven’t been able to get over the line.
“I think the main feeling is excitement. We know what’s at stake and we know we are so close to Wembley,” Fisk continued.
“We went so close last season and got knocked out in the semi-final. So, the mood amongst the girls is we are really excited and can’t wait for this game.”
Brighton themselves will be a tough match, as both times we’ve played them in the league season has ended in a draw, so getting that extra goal will be paramount. This squad knows how to fight though, after coming from last place even as close as Christmas, and Fisk acknowledges that.
“We all knew the situation at Christmas and it wasn’t looking great for us, but there wasn’t really a moment when we doubted it because we knew at some point it was going to turn around,” the captain explained.
“We just had to keep working at it – which we did – and I’m really proud of us and us as a team. We have worked so hard as a team to turn this around and we’ve had some positive results in the WSL. And if we could top that off by getting to Wembley, that would be amazing for us.”
Fisk was named captain at the start of a season of change for the Red Women, after the departure of Niamh Fahey and with the addition of Gareth Taylor as the new manager, and the difficult period following the loss of Matt Beard. She has risen to the occasion though and been a good leader on the pitch throughout this tough year.
“I think I’m quite personable. I like to get to know my teammates and I feel like I’ve got a really good relationship with all of them. I hope I lead by example,” Fisk said.
“I’m maybe not the loudest or anything but I’d like to think the way I train and the way I play gives inspiration to the rest of the team and I’m a calming influence. We have a really good group of girls here and it’s really easy to be captain of this team. I’m really honoured to be the captain. The girls always help me.”
Fisk is prepared to take the confidence of their season long fight through to this match with Brighton, too, especially after losing late to Manchester City last week. Chelsea and City also play each other on the other side of the semi-final round, so the final will be a tough one no matter who goes through, but Fisk is sure to do her best to make it Liverpool.
“There were so many positives we could take from our performance last Sunday at Manchester City. We let ourselves down the previous week against West Ham and we wanted a reaction,” the defender explained of the match last weekend.
“It was a really strong performance from us, although we lost the game in the dying minutes, which was gutting. But even though it was a positive performance, there are still things we feel we can do better.
“We’ve drawn twice with Brighton this season and in both of those games we feel we could and should have won. Maybe they would say the same. But we definitely feel on our day we can beat anyone and we will go into it with full confidence.”
The match on Sunday kicks off at 12:15pm BST and will be broadcast on Channel 4 in England.
