Pompey Women hoping for ‘extra buzz’ of winning their third trophy in nine months in Portsmouth FA cup final against Moneyfields

Jay Sadler s side take on city rivals Moneyfields for the right to be crowned Portsmouth Divisional FA Women's Senior Cup winners at Westleigh Park on Thursday (8pm).

It's a trophy the Blues have already lifted this term - beating Moneys 4-1 in the delayed 2019-20 season final at Baffins Milton Rovers' PMC Stadium in October.

Skipper Jade Bradley put them ahead in the first minute with Jade Widdows and top scorer Becki Bath (2) adding further goals before a late Moneys consolation.

Since then, Pompey have claimed a second piece of silverware - defeating Southampton FC on penalties to be crowned Hampshire Women's Senior Cup winners for a 12th consecutive season a fortnight ago.

Now the Blues have the opportunity to claim a third trophy to bring down the curtain on their 2020-21 campaign - and Sadler reckons it would set them up nicely for a push for league glory next term.

He said: 'It’s exactly how it was post Southampton FC (Hampshire Senior Cup win). We assumed that would be the last one (game of the season) so the confidence from winning a cup and the positivity you can end your season on is really helpful.

‘You then go into the off season and it gives staff, players and even fans an extra buzz, really, for the new season because you’re ending on a positive note.

You’re ending on a win, you’re ending on a high and I feel players start to realise the foundations we’re building.

‘But we don’t necessarily want to just be winning Hampshire and Portsmouth Divisional Cups - again, no disrespect to the competition, but we want to be winning league titles.

‘That’s something which we have an aspiration to do and we’re going to start putting the building blocks down.

‘As soon as the Moneyfields games is over, we’ll be getting ready for the girls to come back in late June for pre-season.’

But Sadler certainly will not be taking Moneyfields, who play two divisions lower in the women's pyramid, lightly.

He has been impressed by Moneys' progress in recent years and acknowledges his side are a scalp they'll be looking to take.

Sadler added: 'We want another one (trophy)against a team who over the years have progressed significantly.

‘I’ve got a lot of respect for what Moneyfields have been doing across the landmark of women’s football and they want to dethrone us.

‘They’re a team within the PO postcode who use us as a bit of an inspiration, really, to try to get to our level.

‘They’ve been doing well in their league, they’ve scalped some big teams, they’re off the back of a cup win against Abingdon.

‘We know they’re coming in full of confidence and fight.'