By Jonathan White
Dabbers women advance to first round proper of FA Cup!
Nantwich Town FC Women made club history by advancing to the First Round Proper of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup for the first time.
The Dabbers secured their spot with a 3-2 victory over fourth-tier side Solihull Moors Women in a thrilling Adobe Women’s FA Cup Third Qualifying Round encounter – https://www.thefa.com/competitions/the-womens-fa-cup – at the Swansway Stadium on the afternoon of Sunday 13th October 2024.
The Dabbers goals – in order – were scored by Bridie Harding (sponsored by FrontGuyGary Entertainment) with a stunner from distance, Amanda Fallon (sponsored by the NTISA) with a shot from close range, and Libby Bulkeley (sponsored by UstoreallLtd, Nantwich) with a cross-come-shot which also evaded the Solihull goalkeeper.
Live match commentary was provided by The Cat community radio station, https://thecat.radio/ , whilst the Dabbers media team supplied regular updates on social media.
Nantwich Town FC Women starting XI: 1. K. Townsend, 2. B. Harding, 3. J. Buckley-Ratcliff, 4. R. Davies (captain), 5. E. Macdonald, 6. M. O’Connor, 7. L. Bulkeley, 8. P. Smith, 9. A. Fallon, 10. L. Lander, 11. G. Duckworth. Substitutes: 12. F. Chaffey-Green, 14. H. Knight, 15. A. Hatton, 16. K. Green, 17. N. Walker, 18. H. Bourne, 19. B. Davies.
Dan Mellor, Manager, Nantwich Town FC Women, speaking after their Third Qualifying Round victory said:
“Today is right up there for me and will probably go down as our greatest victory over the last few years. I said after the last round that I’d back my girls against anyone and today was no different. We came up against a side 3 tiers above us and whilst the circumstances around the opposition weren’t ideal I thought we dealt with it fantastically well.
“Every single one of them to a woman stood tall and took the game to them and even when they broke through and went 1-0 up, I knew they’d fight back because the mentality of the team this year is so strong, they’re so positive and it’s a genuine pleasure to be a part of it.
“These girls deserve all the praise and acclaim for what they’ve done in the FA Cup, this is a very special group of players and the work we all put into growing the team is starting to bear fruit. No one gave us a chance today on paper but I can tell you every one of us believed we could cause an upset today and that’s exactly what we did.”
Nantwich Town FC Women can offer a friendly atmosphere, full club support, FA qualified coaches, Swansway Stadium 3G pitch, excellent fan base and a family & community ethos. Nantwich Town FC Women always look for quality players to strengthen their first team and their development team. For further information relating to Nantwich Town FC Women please visit: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTFCLadies