Last season Fern Whelan made it to The FA Women’s Cup Final with Everton and this time round the defender aims to do it again – with new club Notts County.
The defender spent nine years on the blue half of Merseyside, which culminated last term in relegation to FA WSL 2 and an off-season transfer to the Lady Pies.
But the 26-year-old remembers fondly The FA Women’s Cup run which defied Everton’s league form and eventually saw them beaten in The Final by 13-time winners Arsenal.
Everton v Notts County
The FA Women's Cup
Semi-Final
2pm, Sunday 3 May
Goodison Park
Tickets priced £5 adults, £2 children
This Sunday Whelan returns to Merseyside for the semi-final clash at Goodison Park and she admits it will be odd playing against her old team-mates.
“I’m here at Notts now and I’m loving it here since I moved,” said Whelan, who won The FA Women’s Cup with the Toffees in 2010.
“It will definitely be strange coming up against Everton – ever since I saw the draw I’ve been excited.
“I’ll be playing against a lot of the same girls, and it’s a complete role-reversal this year having played for Everton last year when they knocked Notts County out in the semis.
“It would be massive for me to make that Final. Having won The FA Women’s Cup before it’s definitely a special competition for me. It’s something that has a special place in my heart and if I managed to get there again it would be amazing.”
Wembley awaits for the winner on Saturday 1 August and Everton captain Michelle Hinnigan is determined to see the Toffees secure their place.
Andy Spence’s side have made a solid start to life in WSL 2 and are unbeaten after five games so far this term.
Their route to this season’s FA Women’s Cup semi-finals has seen them beat Bristol Academy in extra-time and Charlton Athletic on penalties, with Hinnigan hoping for a less tense tie this weekend.
“We need to get our blocks in and stop players like Ellen White from getting past us,” she said.
“Our plan is to work out a way of getting round them, and now we’ve started scoring some goals we’re confident we can do that.
“It’s such an exciting time for the club especially with the semi-final being at Goodison Park.
“We had such a great journey to The Final last year but it didn’t go how we’d hoped it would.
“I think we can use those feelings and emotions to fuel a really good performance against Notts County. We know they have quality but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
