Exeter City Women begin their FA Cup campaign this weekend with the visit across the Tamar to Saltash United Women, with a place in the First Round on offer for the winner.
Simon Westlake and Dylan Large’s side comfortably dispatched of Bodmin in the Second Qualifying Round, a 5-2 victory at Rectory Road put the Ashes in the Third Qualifying Round for the first time in the team’s history.
Sitting in third position in the Western Division, Saltash have enjoyed some big early season wins, hitting nine against Bideford and five goals in a victory at Sticker Women. However, a draw against a strong Feniton side and defeat by visiting Sticker last weekend has curtailed some of the early momentum.
Nicola Champion and Jade Bryan lead the goalscoring charts, whilst the team will be led by Captain Katie Mace. Saltash have enjoyed cup success already in 2022, with a victory in the Supplementary Cup back in May and will be keen to cause an upset on Sunday.
Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley’s side enjoyed an exciting FA Cup Run last season, reaching Round Four for only the second time in the team’s history. City go into the game on a winning run, bouncing back from the defeat at Cardiff to record five straight wins, conceding only twice along the way.
Whilst the County Cup win at the weekend was welcome, the magic of the FA Cup will be prevalent this weekend with the team keen to reach the later stages and draw one of the country's top teams. However, first they must overcome a motivated Saltash United who will be keen to create their own piece of FA Cup history on Sunday afternoon.