Lewes resume their season after the winter break and winter weather with a FAWNL Cup quarter-final clash at home on Sunday – against fellow FA Women’s National League Southern Premier side Plymouth Argyle.
The Rooks are eighth in the league table, with Argyle third – but Lewes midfielder Danielle Rowe warns that league form means nothing when it comes to the cup.
“That’s probably one of the best things about cup competitions,” she tells SheKicks.net. “I know that we’re in the same league, but FA Cup, League Cup, whatever it may be, anything can happen and surprises happen.”
Lewes had a fine run in the Women’s FA Cup this season, falling in the fourth round by a single goal to WSL2 side Crystal Palace, and Rowe thinks that experience will give them an added boost this weekend.
“The Crystal Palace game, we fought till the very end. We all came away from that with our heads held high. Only losing 1-0 to the higher opposition – there’s definitely so many positives to take from that. We proved in that game that we can do the hard, dogged stuff if we need to. So I think we can definitely take that into Sunday for sure.”
Though Lewes’s game against Exeter City was postponed last weekend, Argyle were in action – losing 3-1 to Watford after going 1-0 up.
“They’re going to want to bounce back, more than normal,” says Rowe. “They’ll probably be thinking of the game when they beat us earlier in the year in the league as well [4-0]. They’ll be seeing that as a massive opportunity to bounce back and then hopefully get their league form back on track – but we’re not going to let that happen easily, put it that way!”
Danielle Rowe: FAWNL is competitive and exciting
Rowe has now been at Lewes for just over six months in her second spell, having spent time at Worthing most recently. Getting the opportunity to return to the Dripping Pan was, she says, an ideal combination of a welcoming environment and a challenge on the pitch.
“I always liked how the club was run, the backing that they have for the women’s team, because not many clubs can say that that’s the case. I went down there, met with the coaches and everything, and it was just such a warm welcome that it was hard to turn down.”
Returning to play in tier 3 means Rowe has also seen how the standard of the league has improved.
“Our league position doesn’t actually reflect our season. I know that sounds silly because ultimately it comes down to the points on the board!
“But Bournemouth drew at Hashtag last week. If you look at the league table, no one would have predicted that would happen, but football doesn’t always work that way. Picking up a couple of wins would definitely boost you right up there.
“It’s tight. It’s good for the league, it’s competitive and makes it more exciting.”
