Southport FC Women’s first ever appearance in the Women’s FA Cup ended in a 2–0 defeat away to Maghull in the First Preliminary Round. Both goals came in the first half, leaving us with an uphill battle against strong opposition.

It was always going to be a difficult task, with only one pre-season match, several new faces in the squad, and just 11 players available on the day. The challenge grew when Becca suffered a leg injury in the first half, and further still when Sophie Spearitt broke her wrist in the second half, forcing us to play the remainder of the game with 10 players.

Despite the setbacks, the team kept working hard. Erin had two good chances in both halves and was unlucky not to break the deadlock, while Kiah made a number of excellent saves to keep the score line at two and give us a chance to stay in the contest.

The whole squad dug in, showing plenty of character against a Maghull side who were well organised and clinical in front of goal.It wasn’t the introduction to the competition we had hoped for, but it was still an important milestone in the development of the team.

Competing in the FA Cup for the first time is a step forward for the women’s section of the club, and we’ll look to build on the experience for future seasons.

Our thanks also go to Hamish for stepping in to lend us a yellow kit that allowed the game to go ahead.

Attention now turns to the league campaign, which begins on 14th September with a familiar trip back to Maghull to start our Premier Division season.