Ahead of tonight’s West Riding County Cup semi-finals against Leeds United Ladies Reserves, we caught up with Assistant Manager, Ashley Thompson to gain his thoughts on the fixture.
What is the mood like in the camp ahead of this game?
“Everyone at the club has been frustrated at the lack of games, and you can see the hunger in the player’s eyes to finally get back into competitive action.
“Add in the fact that it’s Guiseley versus Leeds, a County Cup semi-final and an evening game under lights, everyone is bang up for this one!”
What kind of squad can we expect to see?
“We’ve got the majority of the squad available at last, so Glen and I have had some decisions to make.
“We’ve got a few notable absentees with Emily Heckler and Ellie Olds are not eligible for this round, Jodie Hunter faces a late fitness test while Liv DaCosta, Fiona Worts and Maria Ledezma are away with University commitments.”
“We’ve used the early rounds of the competition to give some young players first-team exposure so don’t be surprised if we see a couple of development faces in there.”
What can we expect from the opposition?
“Honestly, I have no idea. We are familiar with most names in the opposition squad but we don’t know who will play.
“There’s no such thing as a friendly derby game and I am expecting a tough game where they’ll press us with intensity and really come out to attack and hurt us.
“We saw Bradford struggle to beat a hard-working Farsley side last week in the other semi, so we cannot and will not take anything for granted.
“We know we’re favourites and have to set the tone early and start well to assert our dominance on the game.”
The game is at the FA County Headquarters and Kick-Off is 7:45PM. Entry is £3.