Local cup clash on Sunday pits women's teams against eachother

Thursday, 14 December 2023 00:00

Two local women’s football teams have been drawn against each other in Round 2 of the Wiltshire County FA Cup.

Durrington FC Ladies will host Bemerton Heath Harlequins Ladies on Sunday, 17th December, in a highly contested fixture between two talented local teams.

Both Bemerton and Durrington play in the Wiltshire County Women’s and Girls’ League and sit in the top half of the table after a very successful start to the season.

Bemerton Heath Harlequins Ladies Manager, Jason Mussellwhite, said: "On Sunday, we have our first Wiltshire FA County Cup fixture.

"We are looking forward to playing Durrington in our first of 3 derbies this season. They are a strong team with great players which will make for an entertaining game".

Image: Kelly Church

Looking ahead to the weekend, Durrington Winger Zoe Ridley has shared her thoughts: "We are really looking forward to taking on Bemmy in the County Cup. These are two strong teams who have had some decent results this season, and it will surely be a very competitive game with lots of action.

"It’s definitely been a whirlwind season already across the league, with lots of unexpected results, so I'm really excited to see who will come out on top this week!"

Both teams are looking forward to this season's first cup fixtures and a chance to meet again outside of the league.

The game will no doubt be an excellent display of the progress and growth within women’s football in this area over the last few years, much of which has resulted from the England Lionesses Euro 2022 win.

Bemerton Heath Harlequins' newly formed Development Team have also been enjoying a competitive start to the season in the Hampshire County Women’s Football League and welcomes interest from women aged 16+ who would like to play or train this season.

On the season so far, Jason Mussellwhite commented: "In the Summer, we set out to create a new women's team and more opportunities for female players to get involved and enjoy football. It has been a fantastic six months, as we now have two competitive women's teams and 45+ players signed on.

"We have received fantastic support from our local sponsors and Wiltshire Community Foundation, Sported (Barclays), and the Kick On campaign with Starling Bank. I am delighted with the progress we have made so far, but we are ambitious and will keep progressing women's and girls' football in Salisbury."

Feature Image: Kelly Church