AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth women’s team boss Steve Cuss is urging his players to put their big-game experience to good use as they bid to etch their names in the club’s history books.
The Cherries will be looking to continue their excellent form when they meet Swindon Town in the second round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on Sunday.
Cuss’s team have won no fewer than 13 of their 14 games in all competitions this season and currently top Division One South West of the National League.
The Cherries face the Robins at the County Ground attempting to reach the third round of the competition for the first time in their history (2pm kick-off).
Wins in the previous two rounds against AFC St Austell and Bridgwater United have earned the Cherries £10,000 in prize money with another £8,000 at stake for the victors in this game.
The Cherries triumphed 3-2 against the Robins in the league in October before treating a record crowd of 6,805 at Vitality Stadium to a 4-0 win against Portishead Town earlier this month.
Previewing the game, Cuss told afcb.co.uk: “We acknowledge we’ve got the opportunity to create a little bit of history for the women’s team and it has certainly been mentioned this week.
“We reached the second round a couple of seasons ago when we unfortunately lost away to Portsmouth in a very close match.
“We won 3-2 at Swindon in October and it was a really tough game. I’ve got a lot of time and respect for them because, like us, they are trying to push themselves forward.
“They are developing their team nicely and they’ve got some really good players. It was a tough challenge in October and we know we’re going to have to be at our very best to try to win this one.
“When the draw was made, Swindon contacted us and said they were going to move it to the County Ground which was great news.
“It’s a big occasion for them, like it was for us when we played at Vitality Stadium earlier this month. We will be hugely respectful of that.
“It’s good for our players to play on these main stadiums and it’s something which is happening a little more regularly with the profile of the women’s game.
“In the past two seasons, we’ve played at Fratton Park in the final of the Hampshire Senior Cup, in front of a crowd of more than 2,600 at Exeter’s St James Park and almost 7,000 at Vitality Stadium against Portishead.
“The players are getting more experiences of playing in main stadiums and having to deal with a crowd.
“It’s all part of the process that we’re learning as a team together and we’re really looking forward to playing at the County Ground which will be the first time for us.”
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