Preston ready for battle

Preston North End centre-back, Sarah Jones, is confident her side can pull off a Cup upset when they take on Doncaster Rovers Belles in the Semi-Finals of The FA Women’s Premier League Cup.

Jones was a part of the Preston side that became the first in the club’s history to reach this stage of the competition after a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth, and she now believes the club can go one step further.

The 19-year-old said: "Of course we will be going in to the game as massive underdogs but I think that is what makes cup competitions so special and it is something that we as players will thrive upon.

‘‘Many people doubted that we would win at Portsmouth and we proved them wrong. It is going to be a really tough game and every player will have to be on top form but if we play to our capabilities and work hard as a team then there is no reason why we can’t give them a good game.

‘‘Obviously, a home draw would have been better for us to drum up some support but we have proved that we can travel well by winning at Portsmouth so I don’t think playing away is too much of a concern for us as players.’’

Jones admits that Doncaster, who themselves have yet to win the League Cup despite a history full of honours, are "one of the most established and consistent teams in the Women’s game." But when reflecting on the draw, she says she would have liked to have been paired with Vic Akers' dominant Gunners.

‘‘At this stage of the competition any game is going to be very tough, especially when the other teams left are all established Premier League sides containing international players, but it would have been good to draw Arsenal in terms of having the opportunity to play against former European champions and some of the most recognised players in the Women’s game," she said.

Despite Preston’s impressive Cup run, just one win in six League games has left them at the foot of the Northern Division and facing a relegation battle. Jones accepts that performances in the League need to improve but that the Cup run can only help, not hinder, Preston’s form.

‘‘Obviously, a good Cup run is great but the League is our priority and even more so when we find ourselves in the position that we are in at the moment. We have played the least number of games out of all the teams in the League and a few points will bring us up a number of places but we know we need to start getting those points.

‘‘We have proved in the Cup games that we are a better side than we have been showing in the league and with the win over Portsmouth I think the belief, fight and confidence of the players has been renewed even more. The good Cup performance will only serve to enhance our league form.’’

The second Semi-Final sees Chelsea take on Arsenal.