Michelle Hinnigan hopes FA Cup run can breed confidence

Cup Run Can Be Catalyst

Skipper Michelle Hinnigan hopes FA Cup run can breed confidence ahead of league campaign.



Everton will look to use a strong run in the FA Cup to help kick-start their league campaign next month.

The Blues thumped Stoke City in the third round to set up a meeting with either Preston North End or Nottingham Forest on 28 February.



Should they progress, the Toffees would play any fifth round tie on 20 March, just four days before kicking off the WSL 2 season at home to Aston Villa.

Michelle Hinnigan sees the cup as an excellent opportunity to build up momentum ahead of the start of the league campaign.

“It’s important we have a good cup run and then try and take that into the league as well,” she said. “We love FA Cup games and we want to go all the way this season.

The Stoke game has given us confidence - we know what we can do now. We have set the benchmark but we want to improve on that.

“It is difficult to start with an FA Cup game in the middle of our pre-season but it is good to split it up.

Pre-season doesn’t seem as long. It is good to have a competitive game in February and then we can concentrate on kicking off the league in March.

“Hopefully we can bring the confidence from the Stoke game into the start of our league campaign against Aston Villa.”

The Blues skipper was delighted with the victory over the Potters and insisted it was the perfect reward for the hard work put in during pre-season.

“Andy said to just go out there and do what we had been working on in training,” added Hinnigan. “Everyone has given 100 per cent and it was hard for him to pick a team.

“The girls in the starting XI did really well and those that came on did so as well. Every one of the girls showed what Everton are about.

“It was a brilliant result and showed the hard work that we have put in in pre-season.”