Very few people would have predicted that Hashtag United would take a point from FA Women’s National League Southern Premier league leaders AFC Bournemouth in the opening fixture of 2026.
Fewer still would have expected that they would have looked set to take all three points right up until the 12th minute of added time at the end of the second half.
Long-serving forward Emma Samways had put Hashtag ahead on the hour mark – but Jessica Hennessy equalised at the very last gasp to ensure the points were shared.
“Before the game, if someone had told us we’ll come away with a point, we would have been chuffed, we would have been really happy,” captain Flo Jackson tells SheKicks.net. “But the fact that we were a minute away from getting three points, then to concede in 90 plus 11, you just can’t help but feel so disappointed – because it was there, it was touching distance.”
“Going away against Bournemouth for any team is going to be difficult,” adds Samways, “but for us especially – like we are very different positions in the league.
“On paper, their players and their set-up and everything, they should have got the win, but I think we played so well. In our head was ‘They’ve got this amazing, unbeaten record in the league – someone has to ruin that at one point and put a stop to that.’
“We were 60 seconds away from doing that, and it is frustrating, but it is a point on the road.”
Jackson says that she reminds her players that they are usually the underdogs as they go up against teams with significantly more resources: “What we have on the pitch is a lot of character, intensity, aggression. That’s the thing that we bring.”
Emma Samways: Hashtag United has a family feel
Hashtag are currently three points off 11th place, the second relegation spot – but they are also three points off sixth place. Samways says that consistency is something they need to work on alongside their game management. She has plenty of experience, with over 100 appearances for the club now.
“I’ve never been in a club like this,” she says, reflecting on her career that has included spells at Huddersfield Town, Guiseley Vixens and Yeovil Town. “It’s got a different mindset and it’s that family feel and you’ve got the online presence and there’s so many fans that have supported me.”
She points to the backing she got from fans when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept her off the pitch and also restricted her ability to do her day job.
“You’ve got support from all around the world. There’s not a town called Hashtag, but you have thousands and thousands of people watching you every week.”
Flo Jackson: Every game is winnable
Jackson joined the club this summer following stints at clubs including Charlton Athletic, Gillingham and Crawley Wasps, attracted to the project and the chance of being a leader.
“It was quite an exciting thought,” she says. “I’ve not been in a situation where it’s been a rebuild before. Especially in this league, anything can happen with a rebuild, and I know it’s a chance, but it was a chance that I was willing to take at the stage of my career. I thought it was a good opportunity for me to come in and be a leader, which is what I’ve been looking to do.”
Of Jackson’s captaincy, Samways says: “She always has something to say. She always says something to inspire the team. Before the game, after the game, she’s always there, saying we’ve got to celebrate the small wins in this season.”
Jackson says with a smile that she is a “loud person” but adds: “If I’m loud, it’s because I’m trying to drive intensity!”
And that intensity will come in handy for the rest of the season.
“With the performances we’ve had, there’s no reason why we can’t finish in the top half of the league,” says Jackson.
“That’s something we’re definitely going for. We go into every game thinking we can win this game. Every game is winnable.
“Definitely we want to finish top six. We’re in the Essex County Cup. We want to get some silverware. There’s lots of stuff that we’re still trying to play for. Every week, the points are so critical, because we’re a couple of points from the lowest teams and we’re a couple of points from the top six – so every point really counts.”
