Yeovil midfielder Helen Bleazard insists the unpredictable nature of the FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup makes Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa far from a foregone conclusion.
The Glovers have had a mixed start to the competition having won one and lost one of their opening two games, while Villa have endured a particularly tough start – compounded by a 7-1 defeat against local rivals Birmingham City last time out.
On current form, hosts Yeovil, two places and six points above Aston Villa in the WSL 2 table, would fancy their chances of picking up a result at Sherborne Town this weekend.
Yeovil Town v Aston Villa
FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup
Group Three
2pm, Sunday 16 August
Sherborne Town FC
But Bleazard has urged caution, especially after the Glovers’ 3-0 defeat by Bristol Academy in their last outing in the Cup.
She said: “I think we gave Bristol a bit too much respect. We were not in it from the get-go, but we need to put that result aside and have a stronger game against Villa.
“The scoreline against Bristol didn’t really reflect the game, but there was no doubt that they deserved to win, their quality shone through. We are confident in our ability, and aside from the last result we’re in good form.
“Aston Villa are a bit of a bogey team for us, we find them a tough team to play against as they are physical and competitive, but it’s often our own fault as we don’t turn up against them.
“We can’t afford to take the game for granted otherwise we’ll find ourselves in a difficult position, but in this competition we know anything can happen. It all depends on what happens on the day.”
Aston Villa will be looking to bounce back after successive defeats in the competition and Olivia Fergusson is keen to return to winning ways.
Olivia Fergusson (right) in action against Watford
But the striker is equally desperate to erase the memory of the battering by Birmingham.
Fergusson said: “To lose 7-1 to the Blues in the Continental Tyres Cup was very disappointing, especially with it being a derby, it was a tough result.
“We held our own at the start but once the first goal went in our heads dropped, but even so it didn’t feel like a 7-1 game.
“It was a good experience for us. WSL 1 is where we want to be one day so it is always good to see where we are at and how we compare.
“The league is more important to us in terms of how we want to finish off our season but we’re still looking to get a positive result against Yeovil.”
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