We spoke with Fulham Foundation FC Ladies’ captain, Verity Snow, after the London & South East side eliminated Premier League St Nicholas from the SSE Women’s FA Cup on Sunday.
SK: How did you feel about your chances before the match?
VS: When we finally found out who we were up against, we did do a little scouting around, and found out they were a league above us. This didn’t faze us too much as they were at the same level as Denham that we beat in the Capital Cup, so as a team we all gave each other encouragement and support through training sessions and especially on the day of the match. We were all very positive going into the match, which is a key factor and we were seen as the underdogs which in a way relaxed us a little more. The support of our Manager David Newland, and Coach Matt Weller helped us in preparing for the match.
SK: How was the game and can you tell us about the goals?
VS: The game overall started very positive for us, we got at them very quickly and we were strong in all tackles. I think we had to make a presence to show that we were there to win. We had our first shot in the 25th minute with a good save from the keeper and I think from that point we all stepped up another gear. For the first goal we played it out wide to our right winger, Helen Ogle, who delivered it hard and low. The keeper made a mistake and Megan Lovelock took advantage of this and scored in the 37th minute.
The second goal was a shot by me! I was about 20 yards out with my back to the goal, I saw their defender in front of me but I took full advantage of the keeper being small. I controlled it, turned and shot on the volley into the top left-hand corner. This kept us very positive going into the second half, and we all worked extremely hard and for each other for the next 45 minutes.
SK: What’s the feeling about another home tie with a Premier League side (Enfield Town)?
VS: Once again we have been given a home draw which straight away puts us on a positive high, everyone wants to play on our home ground which has an excellent surface. It is great result in getting through to the next round, in just our second season as Fulham Ladies. We have lot of newcomers who have joined the squad, but they have gelled with the team really well. We are delighted to have been drawn to play against Enfield, who are above us in the leagues, so it will be another tough one but could have been much more of a test for us.
Pictured: Megan Lovelock, Verity Snow and Jade Pilley celebrate.
SK: Why is your league form disappointing in comparison?
VS: We haven’t been doing that well in our league matches this season, all very frustrating as we seem to play well against the top sides but struggle against the bottom teams. As the Captain, I do struggle to come to terms with this a lot and much of it comes down to not having enough players to fill the boots of others that are injured, working or on holiday. We hope to have better availability soon and get back to winning ways in the league.
SK: What are your hopes for yourself and the team this season?
VS; My hopes for the team this season are very simple. I want us to get back on winning form and prove to people we can win matches consistently, whether that be in the League or the Cups, as we have had a disappointing start to the season, But this being my first season as Captain, I want us to finish as high as we can up the league table. So this is my job, to support my manager, the coaching team and especially all the girls.
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