Rutherford: Postponement a pain for Pompey Ladies

The postponement of the trip to Shanklin was a frustrating disruption for the commanding centre-back.

Especially after Pompey’s excellent performance to beat Cardiff in their opening match of 2016.

League games and other cup matches will be knocked back in the fixtures as a result of the postponed Hampshire Challenge Cup tie.

Rutherford said: ‘It’s frustrating because we have a few big games coming up.

‘In the league we need to start picking up points.

‘Nobody wants to have games called off and it does have an impact on our fixtures.

‘It’s the last thing we wanted. You lose your momentum a bit.’

Things were looking bright ahead of the scheduled trip to the Isle of Wight.

The team showed great form to beat Cardiff 2-0 in the FA Women’s Cup, with Lucy Quinn and Sarah Kempson both netting.

That set up a date with FA Super League side Aston Villa in the next round.

Rutherford added: ‘Against Cardiff we battled really well as a team.

‘It was a great game to be part of.

‘They are always a strong side but we didn’t look under any threat at all against them.’

Perry Northeast’s side will be hoping for a good run of form to spark a charge throughout the second half of the season.

They will want to defend their title all the way to the finish and with strong teams like Charlton, Brighton, Coventry and Cardiff at the top it is going to be tough.

Last season’s success was massive but also set the bar high for opposition teams.

Rutherford believes their rivals have followed the blueprint from Pompey’s excellent performances.

She said: ‘We were the best team in the league last season, we proved that.

‘Charlton, Cardiff and Brighton especially looked at us and what we were doing.

‘Their wanted to know why were able to win so many games.

‘They looked at when we were training, they looked at our regime and our fitness coach.

‘And they have upped their game.’

Pompey Ladies will try again to travel to Shanklin on Sunday, hoping this time they have better luck with the weather.

Northeast’s side then return to league action against Forest Green on Sunday, January 31.

The Blues are currently fifth in the table, with nine wins from their 15 matches.

They travel to Aston Villa for the big FA Cup tie on Sunday, February 7.

Don’t miss the Sports Mail every Saturday for more news from Pompey Ladies.