Chelsea may well be in contention to complete a sensational domestic treble, but Niamh Fahey insists they cannot afford to let their concentration slip in The FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup.
The Blues sit fourth in Group One on goal difference, after a 2-0 home defeat by Group One rivals Arsenal in their last match, but host WSL 2 side Millwall Lionesses on Wednesday.
Fahey was part of the side that put Chelsea one third of their way towards their treble dream with victory in the SSE Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium earlier this month, and they won’t want to slip up in the Continental Tyres Cup having put themselves in pole position for league glory with a 2-0 win over the Gunners on Sunday.
Chelsea v Millwall Lionesses
FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup
Group One
7.30pm, Wednesday 26 August
Staines Town FC
And, despite the Lionesses being a league below the WSL 1 leaders, the 27-year-old defender admits the prospect of a local derby is something that always gets her team-mates fired up.
Fahey said: “We’re going for all three cups this season so this is a crucial game.
“It’s a packed schedule at the minute but we’ve got a really strong squad that has been coping with the amount of games, and we’re confident we can continue to do so.
“We need to utilise the squad and keep our challenge going.
“The group is really tight, the loss to Arsenal put us on the back foot a little bit, so we really need to win our remaining games and it starts with Millwall.
“We play them quite a lot in pre-season games, and with them also being a London side it adds a bit of extra spice to the game so it will be a tough challenge.”
Millwall skipper Dionne Lennon believes her side will relish the test of taking on a higher-ranked side once more with the hope of recording a giant-killing.
Millwall skipper Dionne Lennon
The Lionesses were humbled 5-0 at home to high-flying Doncaster Rovers Belles in the league on Sunday, but Lennon is adamant the Continental Tyres Cup is the perfect chance for her team to play with more freedom.
She said: “All the girls are looking forward to playing against Chelsea. We want to play against the best teams and the best players to test ourselves.
“They have players in the squad who were away at the World Cup, so it will be great for some of our younger players to play against girls who are their idols.
“But we cannot be overawed; we have to treat it as we would any other game. Football is a funny old game, so you never know what the result might be.
“We would love to progress if we can because it means more football for us and the competition serves as a chance to play with a bit more freedom.
“We have not been too worried about losing and that mentality has given the girls a chance to show what they can do.”
