Women’s FA Cup final: Manchester City motivated by past disappointment

Manchester City midfielder Jill Scott vies with Lyon’s Amel Majri during the Uefa Women’s Champions League semi-final at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, France, on April 29, 2Show more

MANCHESTER // Few things can motivate quite like the cruelty of disappointment.

Manchester City Women’s Football Club begin the FA Cup final on Saturday with memories of last year still serving to galvanise them.

“When we sat down at the beginning of the season, we spoke about the FA Cup,” said midfielder Jill Scott.

“Last year getting beaten in the semi-final, in the last minute of injury time, it was heartbreaking, but I think that defeat really set us up for the season.

“We highlighted that we wanted to be in the FA Cup final. We have done that but now we have the task of going there and winning it.”

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Chelsea denied them last year. Birmingham City Ladies stand in their way now. City won the Super League and the Continental Cup in 2016. The FA Cup was the only domestic trophy to elude them. Now they want to complete the set.

“It’s massive,” Scott said.

So, too, is the venue. For only the second year, the FA Cup final will be played at Wembley Stadium, and in front of a record crowd.

“It’s fantastic,” Scott said. “Every footballer dreams of playing at Wembley. When you’re younger, growing up, even the football chants are ‘we’re going to Wembley’ and I have been lucky to play there twice already.

“When I won the FA Cup with Everton back in 2010 it was at Nottingham Forest’s ground and it was a great atmosphere but I just think it being at Wembley it will be an even bigger atmosphere.

“It will be a great day, especially for everyone’s families.”

It is an indication of the game’s growing appeal. Scott is only 30, but has witnessed a rapid growth in support.

“We used to play club games and you’d get 200-300 people coming to watch and now at the Academy Stadium we have had 4,000 already,” she said.

“I am sure everyone in women’s football thinks that we are heading in the right direction and to think that on Saturday there might be over 35-40,000, it is really exciting.”

Whereas City have never won the FA Cup, Birmingham triumphed in 2012. More recently, the two sides drew 1-1 on Sunday in a dress rehearsal.

“It was a very close game,” England international Scott said. “We didn’t think we played our best football, we know there is still another gear in us.

“Birmingham are always a tough team. They are really hard to break down. It’s going to be a tough game.

“They are always very well organised. I know their manager Marc Skinner very well. He has a very good knowledge of the game and the psychology so he will definitely have his players up for the game.”

City go there after a packed programme, a consequence of rearranged fixtures following their run to the Champions League semi-finals.

They beat Bristol 3-0 on Tuesday, courtesy of a Toni Duggan hat-trick. While manager Nick Cushing has indulged in squad rotation — Scott came off the bench to score the winner in the 3-2 victory over Reading — benefits have been derived from a gruelling spell.

“It has given us a bit of consistency and a bit more rhythm to our game,” Scott said.

They have momentum, too, and ambition. The FA Cup brought agony last year. Now they hope it will offer joy.

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