The pain of last season’s FA Women’s Cup Semi-Final defeat will spur Liverpool to glory this season, according to skipper Gemma Bonner.
The Reds fell to a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the final four of last year’s competition and Bonner is determined to make amends this time around.
The reigning FA WSL champions visit Sunderland in the Fifth Round of The Cup this weekend in a repeat of last season’s Sixth Round clash.
Sunderland v Liverpool
The FA Women's Cup
Fifth Round
2.07pm, Sunday 13 April
The Hetton Centre
Liverpool came out on top on that occasion, as Katrín Ómarsdóttir’s late strike earned the visitors a 2-1 win and, while Bonner is confident of repeating the trick, she is wary of Sunderland’s capabilities.
She said: "The FA Cup is a massive tournament and one that we really want to go far in, so it would mean a lot to go there and pick up a win.
"We were really disappointed last season to get knocked out of the Semi-Final and that feeling is a horrible one.
"It’s important for us as a team to put that right and that starts on Sunday against Sunderland.
"They are a very good side and always difficult to play against. We played them last year in The Cup and we only scored late on so we know that they will be tough to beat.
"The feeling of losing that Semi-Final was horrible and we want to make sure we don’t go through that again.
"We are looking to put things right from last year and that means going to The Final and hopefully that step further."
Last year’s quarter final defeat will serve as some motivation but Sunderland must ensure thoughts do not drift prematurely to Thursday’s FA WSL opener – and local derby – against Durham.
And Rebekah Bass, who joined from Leeds United ahead of the new season, believes a fully focused side is capable of exacting their revenge on Liverpool.
Bass said: "I can’t wait. We have been in pre-season for about eight months now so everybody is raring to go. We have just got to go out and play as best as we can.
"The Durham game is a bit of a derby for us so hopefully we can kick it off and start the season well.
"Any derby is going to be big – we are just going to give it our best, like any other game but there may be a little bit more spice.
"Liverpool are a very good side and champions of the Super League but I think if we go out there and put it all in we can hopefully get a result – we’ll see what happens."
