Arch-rivals Portsmouth and Southampton set for two derby battles in less than a week after being drawn to face each other in Women's FA Cup

Jay Sadler's Blues have been drawn to face Women's National League Southern Premier Division arch-rivals Southampton FC in the Women's FA Cup at Westleigh Park on Sunday December 12.

Incredibly, that third round tie comes just four days before Pompey Women were already scheduled to welcome Southampton FC to Fratton Park for a league meeting on December 15.

Goals from Shannon Albuery and Evie Gane - her first for the Blues - fired Sadler's side to a 2-1 second round Women's FA Cup triumph over AFC Bournemouth at Westleigh Park yesterday.

And both Pompey Women and Southampton FC could not have been handed a more exciting draw, with the fierce rivals now in line to meet twice in the space of less than a week - and one of those battles will be under the lights at Fratton Park.

Sadler said: ‘I don’t know how to take it, really, because obviously we’re playing them twice in four days now.

‘The Wednesday one is the league game at Fratton Park now the Sunday prior we’re playing at Havant in the Women’s FA Cup.

‘The players were already talking about that big game at Fratton Park under the lights. But before that we’ve got a game in the League Cup at QPR on Sunday.

‘Now to be given two bites of the cherry against Southampton is still exciting, it’s something we can’t wait for, but our focus is on Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.’

Bournemouth included four former Pompey Women players in their starting line up for Sunday's second round tie, with Molly Clark, Becki Bath, Katie James and Jade Bradley all bidding to knock out their old side.

All three goals would arrive in a lively opening 37 minutes, with Bournemouth's Lucy Cooper levelling on eight minutes to cancel out Albuery's opener.

Defender Gane would grab her first Pompey goal eight minutes before the break to win it and take the Blues into round three.

Pompey Women won the last meeting between the arch-rivals, edging Southampton FC on penalties to be crowned last season’s Women’s Hampshire Senior Cup champions.