Can David beat Goliath? - Hampshire FA Cup Final Preview

Cup final fever has hit Boscombe as AFC Bournemouth Women will be looking to make history as they play Portsmouth in their first ever Hampshire FA Cup Final.

The club’s first final appearance has been surrounded by controversy as they progressed after losing their 3-0 to Southampton in the semi-final.

Despite suffering defeat, The Cherries were reinstated after Southampton withdrew after their request for postponement was denied.

Last year’s final was full of drama; a record 1,100 fans watched Portsmouth go head-to-head with Southampton in a game that finished 1-1. The tie was decided in a dramatic penalty shootout which ended with Saints keeper Kayla Rendell firing her penalty against the crossbar, crowning Pompey as champions.

Bournemouth will be going into this fixture as firm underdogs with them being the division below their opposition.

This competition has also been very heavily dominated by Portsmouth, with them winning it 14 times in the last 16 years – also winning it 12 years in a row.

Bournemouth may go into this game thinking they have the psychological edge, with them having acquired some of Portsmouth’s key players over the years.

Becki Bath joined Pompey in December 2018, with her most prolific season coming in the 2020/21 campaign where she scored 14 goals in just 10 games.

Katie James was Portsmouth’s longest serving player; the midfielder played for them for eight years, joining the club in August 2013, but not making her debut until 2014. She made 95 appearances and scored 24 goals before leaving in the summer of 2021. James also scored in last year’s Hampshire Cup final penalty shootout.

Bournemouth’s most recent signing from Portsmouth came in November, with them bringing in Jade Bradley. She spent four years at The Blues, having been named vice-captain at the start of the 2019/20 season, and was then named club captain from August 2020. She scored 12 times in 68 games and has assisted four times in 10 appearances for them this season. The midfielder also scored from 35-yards in Pompey’s 2019 Hampshire Cup final victory over Hounslow.

Former Portsmouth players Katie James and Becki Bath in training for Bournemouth - Photo by Zach Sampson

Cherries right-back Abby Jones spoke about how beneficial inside information can be: “It’s been really helpful for me because I need to know if their wingers want to cut in on their right foot or go down the line with their left. It’s been really helpful because we now know what formation we play which has helped the way we train.”

Manager, Steve Cuss, agreed with Jones however was keen to make it clear that his side would not be resting on their laurels: “Yeah, it does help, there’s no doubt about that. You can speak to players that know their team very well and how they might line up. When it comes to the game, I think it’s all about the performances and the team playing well.”

These two teams have already faced off this season, with Portsmouth coming out on top in a 2-1 win. Despite the loss, The Cherries were able to leave Westleigh Park with their heads held high thanks to their strong performance that nearly saw them progress to the third round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Bradley has commended the team for how far they have developed since her arrival, saying: “As a team collective I think we’ve progressed our understanding tactically, technically and even physically that the standards never dropped. Whilst I’ve been at the club, if the standards have slipped even slightly, we’ll be told about it from a teammate or from staff which is good. If you want to go in the right direction and win games, in this case the cup final, you have to keep the standards and I’m very proud of this team for being able to do that.”

Jade Bradley on her debut against Bournemouth Sports - Photo by Zach Sampson

Both teams are coming into this game having beaten their opponent on Sunday with Portsmouth beating Keynsham Town 3-2 and Bournemouth winning 3-0 against Portishead Town.

Tonight, at 19.30, David will be hoping to beat Goliath, hoping to leave Pompey in ruins and stop them winning the Hampshire FA Cup for a 15th consecutive time. You don’t want to miss a moment.