The draw for the third round of the SSE Women’s FA Cup was made by two school girls in Birmingham today.
Sana Kazi, 14, and Leya Hussain, 16, from Broadway Academy conducted the draw and decided the 12 ties.
There are two all-FA WSL 2 ties with six-time Cup winners Doncaster Rovers Belles hosting Watford and London Bees travelling to Millwall.
FA WSL newcomers Brighton were handed an away tie against AFC Wimbledon while Derby County will take on local rivals Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa winger Beth Merrick attended the draw, with her side due to face Cambridge United, met the pupils and took part in a football session with them.
This season, from the third round onwards, each draw will take place at a school and be made by pupils as part of SSE’s new partnership with education charity Teach First.
By involving pupils in the draws and bringing female footballers to speak to young people in the classroom, the activity aims to encourage more girls to get involved with grassroots football projects and provide inspirational role models to schools in low-income communities.
Merrick said: “It was great to come down today, meet the girls and do a Q&A.
“It's good to see how many girls enjoy playing football here and how much opportunity there is for them to play the sport.
“We are really pleased to get a home draw and the chance to play a side we haven't played before in Cambridge, it definitely presents a different challenge.
“I love the SSE Women's FA Cup and we're determined to do well in the competition.”
John Stewart, SSE’s director of human resources, said: “We are extremely proud to sponsor the SSE Women’s FA Cup and to see the number of people attending The Final growing year on year.
“We’re working closely with The FA to give more girls the chance to play the beautiful game in what is an exciting year for women’s football.
"In addition, through our partnership with Teach First, we are raising the aspirations of girls from low-income communities, particularly in the areas of STEM science and sport, by holding the draws for the SSE Women’s FA Cup at Teach First schools around the country.
“We hope to see another record breaking crowd at The Final later this year and we’ll again be giving our customers access to special offers and the chance to win money-can’t-buy experiences at this fantastic family day out.”
The third round ties will be played on Sunday 5 February and each winning club will receive £1000 from The FA prize fund.
The Final will be played at Wembley Stadium connected by EE for the third year running.
Last season Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a goal from England forward Danielle Carter, in front of a record crowd of more than 32,000 supporters.
Tickets for The Final are on sale now and thanks to The FA’s partnership with SSE, children can attend for free.
Adult tickets are priced £20 and group booking and charter standard discounts apply.
Tickets can be bought via www.TheFA.com/Tickets or by calling 0844 826 2010.
Third Round draw:
Blackburn Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur
Charlton Athletic v Sheffield FC
Aston Villa v Cambridge United
Millwall Lionesses v London Bees
Leicester City v Liverpool Marshall Feds
Keynsham Town v Durham
Coventry United v Oxford United
West Bromwich Albion v Lewes
Doncaster Rovers Belles v Watford
Derby County v Nottingham Forest
Brighouse Town v Everton
AFC Wimbledon v Brighton & Hove Albion
