It’s Cup Final Wednesday

If it’s Wednesday we must have a Cup Final, or so the last two weeks have proved. Our second showpiece event of the season kicks off at 7.30 this evening, and it’s coming from the home of Lewes, a town which has rather taken to women’s football. The Rooks aren’t appearing tonight, however, as the Reposs Isthmian Women’s Cup Final will be contested by Billericay Town and Charlton Athletic Under 21's.

It would be something of an understatement to say that the two competition favourites are in the Final. Athletic’s Under 21 Women’s side have already defeated Herne Bay twelve-one, Sevenoaks Town eight-nil, and, in the Semi-Final, Ashford United six-nil. The Blues have been almost as prolific, entering a round later than the Addicks and defeating London Seaward seven-nil before triumphing over Enfield Town in the Semi-Final, five-one.

Athletic have rather a lot of relatively recent success in this particular competition. They reached the Semi-Final stage in 2018-19, which was the last time the competition was completed, and were finalists in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 but only won the first of those. Billericay had reached the Semi-Final stage when covid put paid to the competition the last time it was played, and that was the first time they had entered since 2015-16, when they left the competition at the first hurdle after an eleven-four defeat by…Charlton Athletic. We suspect that today’s Billericay side will put up a much stronger showing, however- these days they are a mid table side in the FA Women’s Southern Premier Division, alongside Crawley Wasps, who have recently merged with our very own Haywards Heath Town. Four sides are still competing for that particular title; Oxford United, Watford, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth.

Any representatives of Athletic’s senior women’s side will be rather familiar with the Dripping Pan, as they share the FA Women’s Championship with the Rooks- and indeed have lost twice on this ground this season.

The very best of luck to both sides- and we’ll have a report just after the final whistle.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.