Blyth Spartans Women return to Women’s FA Cup action this afternoon as Morpeth Town make the trip to Croft Park for a 2pm kick-off.
The Spartans head into the tie looking to continue their journey in the competition after an impressive victory over West Allotment Celtic in the previous round.
Sunday brings another all-Northumberland encounter and a tough test against a Morpeth side expected to be among the leading contenders in the league this season.
However, coach Andrew Humphreys believes his side can take confidence from their previous FA Cup outing at Croft Park and has called upon the home support to once again play its part.
“It’s a huge game for the club and the lasses have trained well in the build-up,” Humphreys said.
“We’re playing one of the favourites to win our league, but our last FA Cup game here against West Allotment proved that, with the backing of the Croft Park crowd, we’re more than capable of competing with and beating teams at this level.”
That victory marked the return of Women’s FA Cup football to Croft Park for the first time in 18 years, and the Spartans now have the opportunity to add another memorable afternoon to their campaign.
Vice-captain Izzy Richards is also relishing the challenge and believes the confidence gained from the previous round can help the side on Sunday.
“I’m really excited for the FA Cup game on Sunday,” Richards said. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge with two Northumberland teams going head-to-head.
“But after getting a great result in our first FA Cup game, I feel very optimistic that we can do the same.
“I continue to play with the motto: ‘You train like you’ve never won and play like you’ve never lost.’”
With a place in the next round at stake, the Spartans will be hoping for another strong Croft Park crowd as they look to continue their FA Cup journey.