Match Preview | Women's Plate Final
FA Women's National League Plate Final comes to MGroup Stadium.
AFC Bournemouth and Cheltenham Town will battle it out on Sunday (2pm Kick Off) at The MGroup Stadium for a chance to be crowned FA Women's National League Plate winners.
This is the first time for both clubs that they have made the final of this competition and it is also the first time that the competition is being played with prize money after a series of progressive moves made by The FA.
AFC Bournemouth come into the final on the back of some seriously impressive league form. Their only loss this season has come against Ipswich Town in the Women's FA Cup, way back in mid-December when the Cherries went down to a 1-0 defeat.
Cheltenham Town play their football in a league above AFC Bournemouth and secured their FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division status for another year after their 2-0 win over Lewes.
Both sides are looking to follow in the footsteps of Derby County who won the competition last year and it's set to be quite the spectacle on the weekend as both sides look to make history for their clubs.
FIXTURE DETAILS
AFC Bournemouth v Cheltenham Town
The MGroup Stadium – Sunday 13th April – 2:00pm
FA Women's National League Plate Final
How We Got Here
AFC BOURNEMOUTH
The Cherries began their campaign in the preliminary round and began it well. They defeated Portishead Town 8-0 which included a 30-minute hat-trick from Chloe Gilroy and a Jenna Markham brace.
The following round against London Seaward was forfeited by the home side meaning the Cherries advanced to play Worthing.
The Cherries once again made light work of their opposition as they entered the break 4-0 up and progressed with a 5-2 victory. Jenna Markham and Erin Bloomfield were on the scoresheet once again for AFC Bournemouth as their in-form players continued their incredible season.
The Quarter Final was their first real test of the competition as Cambridge United went down to a valiant 2-1 defeat. Goals from Molly Barron-Clark and Chloe Gilroy were enough to send The Cherries to the final four.
Manchester United Academy stood in the way of AFC Bournemouth's route to the final and a 3-2 victory sent The Cherries to the first FA WNL Plate Final.
CHELTENHAM TOWN
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Given their superior league status, Cheltenham were given a bye in the preliminary round and their first game was against Boldmere St Micheals. A comfortable 4-1 victory with goals from Libby Bell, their captain Emily Owen, Connie Pengelly and Doris Greenwood sent them through to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Two early goals from Cheltenham via Maisy Collis and Emily Owen gave The Robinesses an early lead but the deficit was halved immediately as Wolves scored a free kick. The game ended 2-1 and set up a quarter final with Stockport County.
A nervy quarter-final saw Stockport take the early early in the second half but a late equaliser from Lilly Wellesley-Davies sent the game into extra-time. Maisy Collis' long range which rattled off the crossbar and bounced in, would snatch the winner in extra-time.
The Robinesses faced Southampton Academy in the semi-final and an Una Lue header was the only goal of the game. However, Carys Pugh-Jones stole the headlines as she saved a penalty in stoppage time to seal Cheltenham's place in the final.
THE MANAGER (AFC BOURNEMOUTH) - STEVE CUSS
Steve Cuss has been the head of community at AFC Bournemouth since 2002, and took on the role as manager of the women’s team for the first time ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Cuss has also previously worked within the AFC Bournemouth academy and youth team, as well as with local clubs playing semi-professional football.
In 2022/23, Cuss led the side to silverware, winning the Hampshire Senior Cup for the first time in the club’s history after beating Southampton on penalties.
They replicated that feat in 2023/24, overcoming the Saints 3-1 in the final to defend the county cup under Cuss.
The manager also guided the Cherries to an unbeaten league campaign last season, with 19 wins coming from 22 games. They narrowly missed out on the title, having drawn with champions Exeter City on the final day of the season.
THE MANAGER (CHELTENHAM TOWN) - TOM DAVIES
Cheltenham Town Manager Tom Davies reached 125 games in charge of The Robinesses last week as he oversaw his side win 2-0 against Lewes and retain their status in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division for another year.
Davies has been in charge of Cheltenham Town since May 2020 and moved with experience having worked with University of Worcester, Stoke City Ladies FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers Women.
He also scooped The FA Women's National League Division One West "Manager of the Year 2021/22" after previously winning December's Manager of the Month.
During that season his side went on to win the League and the Cup by winning FA Women's National League Division One South West and Gloucester Women's Trophy earning promotion to FA Women's National League Southern Division.
ONE TO WATCH (AFC BOURNEMOUTH) - ERIN BLOOMFIELD
Erin Bloomfield made a significant contribution after joining AFC Bournemouth midway through the 2023/24 season.
She made her debut in the memorable 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the Adopt South Hampshire Women’s Senior Cup in November 2023.
Bloomfield netted 16 times in 17 games in all competitions as the Cherries finished runners-up in Division One South West of the National League.
Two spells with Southampton Women sandwiched a three-year period studying in the United States where Bloomfield turned out for Troy University.
Bloomfield currently has 22 goals in 26 appearances for The Cherries this season.
ONE TO WATCH (CHELTENHAM TOWN) - UNA LUE
Una Lue is Cheltenham's top scorer in the this season with 16 goals to go along with her four assists in 25 starts this season.
She joined The Robinesses in August 2023 and has found her feet this season having scored 9 goals in her last eight starts which included five against Forest Green Rovers in the Gloucester Women's Senior Cup.
She reached her landmark 50th appearance for the side in a 2-0 victory over Lewes which also saw her bag her 21st goals of the season in all competitions.
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