NTU Chasing FA Cup Dream

As they prepare to host Northamptonshire side, Bugbrooke St Michaels, in the Second Qualifying Round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, the Nottingham Sport caught up with Nottingham Trent University Women’s Head Coach, Daniel Corlett.

Having only made the transition to Sunday football, in the Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies League, just before the start of the global pandemic, and the 2019-20 season, it was before any thought of a global pandemic existed in the mainstream; Corlett’s charges though, they’ve already come a long way, in such a short space of time.

Promoted as champions last time around (pictured at their season-ending win over Mansfield Hosiery Mills), NTU Women currently find themselves residing in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Division One North, and, amidst all those early throes of the current campaign, are riding high in third place, with two wins and a draw, the latter against Notts County Development.

Add to that a somewhat emphatic, opening round salvo away to Hinckley United in the FA Cup, Julia Kings and Alice Rogers registering hat-tricks in a 10-0 win, then it’s certainly been a decent start.

“We’ve been rather fortunate, lucky, with our opening fixtures” admits Corlett, NTU’s first three outings being against SJR of Worksop (4-0; Alice Rogers two), Notts County Development (1-1), and Sherwood (3-0).

“That’s even more so with the students having just come back for their academic year.

“They’ve also had very little grounding going into the new season, and we’ve only previously played against Sherwood.

“We knew we could be competitive though, now, we just have to maintain that.”

In order to achieve that, especially in a new league, at a higher level in the footballing pyramid, will be some ask at the best of times.

The majority of the NTU Women’s squad though, have, at some time in their young careers, already played at a higher level, as well as playing alongside similar athletes, during the university and colleges, prestigious BUCS campaign.

Long-term though, Corlett, alongside his coaching team and captains, Jack Cowdell, Grace Miller, Jess Phillips et al, have aspirations, eventually, and when the timings are right, to progress up that pyramid – in the Women’s FA Cup however, that could, for its time, happen this season.

“It’s hard when comparing the differing county leagues, at step seven,” continued Corlett.

“In opposing Bugbrooke, they’ll want to come here, to Clifton Campus, and give it a real go, but they won’t be no pushover either.

“The dream though, for the cups at least, is to reach the First Round Proper (FA Cup) and to face a high-profile club, including a (Nottingham) Forest, as it would be huge for us.

“We don’t, won’t, take any game lightly though, but, to actually play a step four upwards, it would be a huge challenge, but we can also see as to how much we can compete.”

The added advantage to which, Corlett et al have at NTU, is that, with that BUCS League (Wednesday afternoons) also being available, to the whole Women’s set-up, players also find themselves having a sizeable amount of time together, forming strong bonds both on, and off the football pitch.

Explaining further, Corlett added: “The great thing we have here is the relationships we’ve been building up here.

“We seem to love attacking football, and the girls, some have already played at steps four and five (prior to university) in the past.

“They get a lot of pitch time as well, often maybe, twice a week, although that also has its headaches, whilst having to keep everyone both match-ready, and game-shape.”

Overall though, Corlett et al, they’ll be looking for a top-half finish to the current campaign, in the league, challenging at the top end of the table being an added bonus, whilst also looking at putting together a cup run or two.

Having begun at Hinckley United, that first shot at a cup run, in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, continues this afternoon, when NTU Women play host, at the Clifton Campus, to Bugbrooke St. Michaels; after which, who knows where roads will lead….