Remembering previous cup victories fondly in his previous spell as manager, Grant was adamant that a cup run remained a vital part of his success strategy this season.
“The first game back after the break is an important one. The most important thing for us is to progress in the cup and find our feet after coming back from a few weeks off. The girls have performed well in training this week and we’re looking forward to the game."
“The history we’ve had in the past is important to this team. It’s one of our aspirations to be involved in the later rounds of the competition, but you’ve got to negotiate these early rounds first.
It’s always exciting, it’s knock-out straight away so it brings an added edge to the game. We’re looking for the players to respond and get on with it.”
The manager also suggested there could be squad rotation across the coming games, as his side looks to face an increased workload over the coming months.
“When you look at the fixtures, particularly post-split, there’s a high demand on the players so it’s about managing the players through to that point. We want to qualify for the top six as soon as possible, and get through to the next round of the cup, and we’ve got a league cup semi-final later this month.
There’s a lot happening, so we’ll need everyone.”
“There’s a couple of little knocks just now but everyone else should be fit and well and that should carry us through.”
Scott also provided an update on the fitness of Tegan Bowie and Rosie Livingstone, who missed our final games of 2023 through injury.
“Tegan’s work is just starting to pick up now. There will be another few weeks before we get her into full training.
Rosie might be a bit longer-term now. Other than that, we’re looking good to go, the girls are in good shape having come back.”
