:01:48. > :01:54.the latest news and views from the women's game, including a look ahead
:01:54. > :01:59.to a rather important match coming your way on the BBC. We are counting
:01:59. > :02:03.down to the FA Cup final, and we have reporters in both camps.
:02:03. > :02:08.Arsenal are the favourites. We have a lot of experience, playing in that
:02:08. > :02:13.kind of occasion. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage. Bristol
:02:13. > :02:18.are hoping to rain on their parade. There is no fear for our players.
:02:18. > :02:22.The only fear is we do not perform. We must give our best shot. We will
:02:23. > :02:28.take a closer look at the Super League, now in its third season,
:02:28. > :02:33.going from strength to strength. is more competitive, and it is a
:02:33. > :02:43.better platform to develop our elite players. The quality has increased.
:02:43. > :02:44.
:02:44. > :02:49.Steph Houghton and Siobhan Chamberlain tackle your messages.
:02:49. > :02:56.will score with an overhead kick. I'm delighted to say we have a fair
:02:56. > :03:05.bit of experience here. Faye White and Sue Smith, they have nine FA Cup
:03:05. > :03:10.is between them. Sue Smith has 93 caps for England. Let's start with a
:03:10. > :03:17.look at how Arsenal and Bristol Academy make it -- made it through
:03:17. > :03:20.to the showpiece final at Doncaster. We begin with the semifinals and a
:03:20. > :03:27.momentous occasion at Anfield. History was made by Liverpool when
:03:27. > :03:33.this semi-final became the first to be played at Anfield. Was this to be
:03:33. > :03:37.inspiration for victory over Arsenal? The crowd of 2000 hoped so.
:03:37. > :03:43.But it was Arsenal who took the lead, with their first effort on
:03:43. > :03:48.target after half an hour. Rachel Yankey supply Ellen White, who
:03:48. > :03:51.hooked the ball past the goalkeeper. The gunners had chances to extend
:03:51. > :03:55.their lead but did not put them away. They were made to pay for
:03:55. > :04:01.those misses. Liverpool corner in front of the cop was only half
:04:01. > :04:08.cleared, and across was sworn in which was bravely met by the
:04:08. > :04:12.goalkeeper. -- by the striker. Liverpool continued to press but
:04:13. > :04:19.were undone by a superb breakaway. The ball fell kindly to Gemma
:04:19. > :04:22.The ball fell kindly to Gemma Davison, researched forward. Kim
:04:22. > :04:32.Little produced a finish which was worthy of sending Arsenal into the
:04:32. > :04:35.
:04:35. > :04:43.league ground for their tie. Ashton gate was the stage, with Bristol
:04:43. > :04:49.looking to reach their second final in three years. Mark Sampson's side
:04:49. > :04:55.had to wait until 60 minutes to open the scoring. Great work, doing just
:04:55. > :05:03.enough to beat the goalkeeper. Bristol continued to control the
:05:03. > :05:07.game, and grabbed the deserved second goal later on. Some static
:05:07. > :05:11.defending allowed Nikki Watts space to find Laura del Rio. Her stunning
:05:11. > :05:18.strike means they will have the chance to avenge their final
:05:18. > :05:21.chance to avenge their final defeat. That match came a week after
:05:21. > :05:26.they went out of the semifinals of the Champions League. It seemed they
:05:26. > :05:29.were inspired by that and the fact they were playing at Anfield.
:05:29. > :05:33.had a great run in the Champions League. Disappointing not to get to
:05:33. > :05:37.the final because it is at Stamford Bridge, but to make up for it
:05:37. > :05:42.playing a semi-final at Anfield, I know the girls were very up for it.
:05:42. > :05:46.We did not win this trophy last year, Birmingham bid. They certainly
:05:46. > :05:50.wanted to put themselves back into the final. It was their first time
:05:50. > :05:55.against a Liverpool team who have changed since last season. There was
:05:55. > :06:05.a lot of discussion about how much better they were. To win 2-1 was
:06:05. > :06:08.
:06:08. > :06:16.really positive for the team. sure you said "our trophy" there!
:06:16. > :06:22.feels like it is ours. 11 times. This is a repeat of the final from
:06:23. > :06:28.two years ago. Both sides have changed. Yes, and Bristol have
:06:28. > :06:34.improved. They had a fantastic start, and beating Lincoln 2-0, they
:06:34. > :06:40.are very structured, Lincoln, the manager has set them up in a strict
:06:40. > :06:46.formation, difficult to break down. It shows how good they are attacking
:06:46. > :06:50.that they scored against them. presume they were good value for
:06:50. > :06:54.their semi-final victory? The Lincoln manager admitted it.
:06:54. > :06:58.Definitely. To scored two goals against his side, he will not be
:06:58. > :07:03.happy with that. He likes to keep it tight and hit on the brakes so they
:07:03. > :07:07.have done fantastically well. The Spanish strikers have done really
:07:07. > :07:13.well. We saw them in the clips, gliding past players of
:07:13. > :07:16.international standard. You can see that they are fantastic players.
:07:16. > :07:20.will be talking plenty more about them and seeing more of their goals
:07:20. > :07:26.throughout the show. We will be looking forward to the final.
:07:26. > :07:31.Bristol face the sternest of tests. Arsenal Ladies have lifted five of
:07:31. > :07:41.the last seven FA Cup is on offer. Now they hope to reclaim the
:07:41. > :07:51.trophy. Player of the match that day was Kim Little. We sent a reporter
:07:51. > :08:00.
:08:00. > :08:05.normally play at number ten, just behind the striker. I like to get
:08:05. > :08:10.forward a lot, create goals, scored goals. Arsenal Ladies have been a
:08:10. > :08:15.dominant force in the women's club game in this country, with Kim
:08:15. > :08:20.Little's contribution instrumental. Kim Little work the angle
:08:20. > :08:26.brilliantly. A goal worthy of winning any cup final. Her talent
:08:26. > :08:31.and influence on the game has earned the 22-year-old Arsenal star another
:08:31. > :08:40.accolade. The winner of the women's Player Of The Year award is Kim
:08:40. > :08:45.Little. To even be nominated was great. To be nominated by fellow
:08:45. > :08:52.players, that makes it even more special. It was a great achievement
:08:52. > :08:57.for me to win it. Also the fact that you can reap the benefits and be
:08:57. > :09:05.involved in such a big thing is great for women footballers.
:09:05. > :09:11.receive it from Faye White as well. Definitely. You're only 22, you've
:09:11. > :09:15.had such incredible success. Do you feel there is extra pressure on you?
:09:15. > :09:21.I do not really feel pressure. I do not really get nervous about things,
:09:21. > :09:26.because I just love playing football. I enjoy it so much.
:09:26. > :09:31.touch that is by Kim Little. Another landmark was representing Team GB at
:09:31. > :09:36.the Olympics. Will anything ever come close to playing in front of
:09:36. > :09:43.70,000 people at Wembley? I'm pretty sure nothing will come close. It was
:09:43. > :09:50.still so incredible, to win at Wembley, to play in front of 70,000
:09:50. > :09:54.people. Just to be involved was so special. You were one of only two
:09:54. > :09:59.non-English players to represent Team GB. You must have been a very
:09:59. > :10:03.proud Scot. It was great to be one of the Scottish people involved in
:10:03. > :10:07.Team GB. It was great to be representing Britain and Scotland.
:10:07. > :10:12.Speaking of Scotland, you have had a change of manager. What ideas has
:10:12. > :10:17.the new manager brought in? It's great to have a new person in. It is
:10:17. > :10:23.different to what it was before, more specific. We work on different
:10:23. > :10:28.things in each session. She has brought a lot of new things,
:10:28. > :10:35.freshness to the club, which I think is going to be great. Is it more
:10:35. > :10:39.difficult? You could say that. Some people say Scots are a bit tough. A
:10:39. > :10:48.little bit. There are rules being put in place. It is definitely good
:10:48. > :10:54.things. Not the best start to the season, losing 4-0. Your first loss
:10:54. > :10:57.since July 2011. How difficult was that to take? It was disappointing.
:10:57. > :11:05.I think you're always going to lose in football, you need to bounce
:11:05. > :11:09.back. Next Sunday is the first chance to claim silverware. How are
:11:09. > :11:14.you feeling about that? We are excited. The FA Cup final is always
:11:14. > :11:24.one of the best games of the season. Hopefully it will be a great day and
:11:24. > :11:29.a victory. You have scored in three finals now. You are counting.
:11:29. > :11:34.What is it like to score in an FA Cup final? The first final we
:11:34. > :11:39.played, when I was quite young, to play in front of 25,000 people, it
:11:39. > :11:45.was incredible. We played Bristol two years ago in the final. We beat
:11:45. > :11:52.them 2-0. Hopefully we can do that again next week. I'm sure it'll be
:11:52. > :11:58.difficult game. Kim Little, the first-ever PFA Player Of The Year.
:11:58. > :12:04.Just how good is she on a day in day out basis? She makes it look very
:12:04. > :12:09.easy. You cannot get close to her. I used to hate marking her because she
:12:09. > :12:13.is so quick over five yards. She has such good close control. She knows
:12:13. > :12:17.what to do when she gets the ball. She can worm out of the tightest
:12:17. > :12:22.spaces. You will see from some of the clips that she can score with
:12:22. > :12:27.her right foot, left foot, a left foot is just as strong. You don't
:12:27. > :12:37.knows which side to show her onto. She is so talented. She has really
:12:37. > :12:37.
:12:37. > :12:41.come into the team, she is the creative player. She scores so many
:12:41. > :12:46.goals from midfield. She has been our Player Of The Year and the
:12:46. > :12:54.league Player Of The Year, and now the PFA. That shows you about the
:12:54. > :12:59.players respect. She is not overawed by any occasion. How difficult do
:13:00. > :13:05.you think it was for her to join up with the Olympic squad? I think the
:13:05. > :13:10.type of player she is, she probably did not find it very difficult. She
:13:10. > :13:15.is quite happy to take on board any sort of match she plays in. For me,
:13:15. > :13:22.she settled in really well. She was doing what she usually does,
:13:22. > :13:28.creating goals, finding pockets of space, it is difficult for defenders
:13:28. > :13:31.and midfielders to pick her up. remember seeing her as a 16-year-old
:13:31. > :13:38.playing for Scotland, big things were expected of her. She signed
:13:39. > :13:45.from Hibernian as an 18-year-old. Was she quieter from the start?
:13:45. > :13:50.but on the field she came good. She really came into the team at a time
:13:50. > :13:56.when we lost Kelly Smith to America, she took over her mantle, which are
:13:56. > :13:59.big boots to fill. For me, to see her in the Team GB team was massive,
:13:59. > :14:03.because no disrespect to Scotland but they have not qualified in the
:14:03. > :14:09.time she has burst into the scene to major tournament is. To see her
:14:09. > :14:15.perform on that stage, the impact she made on the team, it was vital
:14:15. > :14:19.for her to grow as a player. She has brought back into this season.
:14:19. > :14:27.will no doubt be a really important player at the weekend. Sunday will
:14:27. > :14:31.mark Bristol's second major final in three years. Established in 1998,
:14:31. > :14:38.they are one of the game's recent success stories, and a team on the
:14:38. > :14:43.up. Bristol Academy women's football club has come a long way since their
:14:43. > :14:50.formation in 1998. Winners of the South West combination Trophy in
:14:50. > :14:57.2001. Promotion to the National division in 2003. Founder members of
:14:57. > :15:04.the league. That forward momentum is continuing. In that very same year,
:15:04. > :15:08.they reached the FA Cup final. Arsenal were the victors, 2-0.
:15:08. > :15:10.someone had told us three years ago that we would have reached two cup
:15:10. > :15:15.finals, played in the Champions League and finished in the top four,
:15:15. > :15:19.nobody would have believed them. There has been huge progress. When I
:15:19. > :15:25.was here before we did not get very big crowds. The standard of football
:15:25. > :15:28.was not very good. We constantly look to move forward, and as long as
:15:28. > :15:38.that is the case, I think they will be pleased to work for the football
:15:38. > :15:38.
:15:38. > :15:41.club. Foundations have been laid for the future. It is the only
:15:41. > :15:47.purpose-built women's football stadium in the country. Attendances
:15:47. > :15:57.are on the up. The club is on the move. Our Bristol better placed to
:15:57. > :16:04.
:16:04. > :16:08.weren't ready to feel that moment and make the most of it. Now we know
:16:08. > :16:15.we've experienced at we know this is what helps us and these are the
:16:15. > :16:19.moments we fight for. Some people were in or of the occasion. Or we
:16:19. > :16:24.will certainly do is make sure that we want to win. That is the first
:16:24. > :16:31.thing if we want to win the cup. personnel has altered slightly since
:16:31. > :16:41.2011. They have lost one of their stars but forward momentum has been
:16:41. > :17:00.
:17:00. > :17:05.maintained. A formidable front structure at the players are given
:17:05. > :17:09.freedom within that. They have the confidence on the pitch which can
:17:09. > :17:16.only rub off good on the younger players. It is a massive thing to
:17:16. > :17:19.lose a player like chess. It is a big loss. But they are both
:17:19. > :17:29.experienced players and have played in different countries and are
:17:29. > :17:34.
:17:34. > :17:44.It is meant to be our sunniest season! When the tally was here, I
:17:44. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :17:58.don't think it got above zero Excellent! There has been a positive
:17:58. > :18:03.start to the season, with goals aplenty. Just the small matter of
:18:03. > :18:07.meeting the mighty Arsenal. Everyone was expects Arsenal to win, and
:18:07. > :18:11.historically, yes, they do win, because they are very successful,
:18:11. > :18:14.but if you want to play them you want to play them now because they
:18:14. > :18:19.lost 4-1 at the Emirates, which is a big shock for anybody in the women's
:18:19. > :18:28.league. We go into that game knowing we play at our best and we can beat
:18:28. > :18:32.them. It is a final, it is 90 minutes and anything can happen.
:18:32. > :18:38.only fear is that we don't perform. Have to make sure we are at our best
:18:38. > :18:42.on that day. You going to win? course we're going to win! They may
:18:42. > :18:48.be the underdogs, but believe me, another landmark in the Vixens story
:18:48. > :18:51.could be just around the corner. So a couple of decent Spanish
:18:51. > :18:58.players up front for Bristol to trouble the Arsenal defence at the
:18:58. > :19:02.weekend. Hopefully from their point of view. Just how good is del Rio?
:19:02. > :19:05.She is a key player for Bristol. Not only can she play on the left, on
:19:05. > :19:10.the right, she plays down the middle. And she drives that
:19:10. > :19:16.players. And you don't like players running at you. She is quite
:19:16. > :19:22.comfortable to do that. She scores fantastic goals as well from outside
:19:22. > :19:26.the area so she is key to Bristol's team. They have that structure and
:19:26. > :19:31.solid defence but then you need that little bit of, I suppose,
:19:31. > :19:34.expressiveness to go forward, and like Mark Sampson said, she is
:19:34. > :19:38.confident and expresses herself and takes shots. She just rides
:19:38. > :19:45.defenders with ease, as you can see there. And what a lovely, lovely
:19:46. > :19:51.finish. And they will be really hoping she is at the weekend. That
:19:51. > :19:55.she is playing. But you are not neutral? I think even last year she
:19:55. > :19:59.came into Bristol's team and scored quite a few goals early on but was
:19:59. > :20:04.then hampered by injury a couple of times in big games where they needed
:20:04. > :20:13.her, and the FA Cup will be won, because if you look to last year,
:20:13. > :20:17.they had 16 games and only seven goals. So they need to score more
:20:17. > :20:24.goals. To be that threat and to pick the other team back rather than be
:20:24. > :20:29.soaking up the pressure is important. So if you look at their
:20:29. > :20:32.average age of the Bristol team, it is very young. They need that. And
:20:32. > :20:36.then players that make things happen, they grab the game by the
:20:36. > :20:43.scruff of the neck and make chances out of nothing, sometimes. That is
:20:43. > :20:48.something, certainly, that Natalia Pablos can do. And she has a ready
:20:48. > :20:57.shown what a great goalscorer she is. Another great goal in this one.
:20:57. > :21:01.And she has been described as the female Michu by her manager. Yes!
:21:01. > :21:06.And the question was, she can do that in Spain but she has come over
:21:06. > :21:10.here and can she do it here? And she has. She has proven she can score
:21:11. > :21:15.goals. And they seem to link up really well and have this connection
:21:15. > :21:19.between the two. And, yes, they definitely cause other teams
:21:20. > :21:24.problems. There will be plenty more from Sue and Faye later in the show
:21:24. > :21:33.and we will also have... The best of the action from yesterday's dress
:21:33. > :21:38.rehearsal, as the two teams met in the Continental cup. And Steph
:21:38. > :21:43.Houghton and her team-mate face the public in our Twitter nightly day.
:21:43. > :21:47.First, though, let's focus on the rapid rise of the Women's Super
:21:47. > :21:53.League. Only in its third season, it has been making strides on and off
:21:53. > :21:57.the pitch and it is already heading for an expansion.
:21:57. > :22:04.Having played myself, you would kind of know what games you would win.
:22:04. > :22:07.And probably that competitive edge was in there. The old Winter league
:22:07. > :22:11.was full of postponements and poor facilities and they really didn't
:22:12. > :22:14.have the facilities to kick the game forward. I just think we really
:22:14. > :22:22.needed to look at something different to try to elevate the
:22:22. > :22:25.sport. Today is the launch of our brand-new Women's Super League. Only
:22:26. > :22:35.the top eight clubs in the country. It would be easy but hopefully that
:22:36. > :22:36.
:22:36. > :22:40.will last for many, many more years. We've had two full seasons now. I
:22:40. > :22:45.think if you speak to anybody in the game, the coaches, players, the
:22:45. > :22:48.fans, it is more competitive and definitely a platform to develop our
:22:48. > :22:54.league players in England. Certainly the games I have seen, the standard
:22:54. > :22:57.of play definitely increased. think one of the unique selling
:22:57. > :23:01.points is that closeness and the interaction between the fans and the
:23:02. > :23:05.players, be it at the games when they are signing autographs or
:23:05. > :23:08.through question and answer sessions on Twitter. It is really about
:23:08. > :23:14.trying to engage the general public, trying to make them aware of women's
:23:14. > :23:18.football. Making it a product to watch. It is affordable, it is
:23:18. > :23:21.friendly, it is accessible. And also there are millions of girls who play
:23:21. > :23:26.football across the country so it is great for them to come and see the
:23:26. > :23:33.top stars in action. COMMENTATOR: Arsenal the women's
:23:33. > :23:36.champions of England! Whilst Arsenal have won the last two seasons, the
:23:36. > :23:40.league is competitive and the clubs are closing the gap, so there are
:23:40. > :23:43.lots of clubs with tough fixtures out there. The clubs are working
:23:43. > :23:47.hard to ensure they improve because they want to start winning things
:23:47. > :23:52.and they want to go into the Champions League. Absolutely. So it
:23:52. > :23:55.has made the competition really healthy. Where the main partner is
:23:55. > :24:02.an education Partner, like Bristol, we have really strong partners
:24:02. > :24:12.helping to build the club of the pitch as well as on the pitch. --
:24:12. > :24:12.
:24:12. > :24:19.the main partners are education partners. It has given us a local
:24:19. > :24:25.perspective as well as an international perspective. It is
:24:25. > :24:30.important in gauge as many females in the game as possible. It is
:24:30. > :24:32.important we sustain it and we grow it accordingly. We launched our new
:24:32. > :24:37.five-year strategy game changer to make sure that over a period of
:24:37. > :24:39.time, the league and the clubs can become sustainable. We have
:24:40. > :24:44.brand-new commercial partners backing the league with coverage.
:24:44. > :24:49.Clubs are developing their match revenues. We are building a fan
:24:49. > :24:55.base. Those indicators are moving in the right direction to ultimately
:24:55. > :24:59.allow the women's game to become sustainable. For the first time, it
:24:59. > :25:05.will create that promotion and relegation between tiers one and
:25:05. > :25:08.two. You have to perform to stay in WSL one otherwise you will be
:25:08. > :25:15.negated. So that will help make sure we keep the strong clubs and address
:25:15. > :25:19.clubs at the top. That level of competition is healthy and it helps
:25:19. > :25:23.develop the players and the product. The Women's Super League, the second
:25:23. > :25:28.division, need to be pushing those clubs and making that transition
:25:28. > :25:30.from volunteer to semiprofessional, ultimately to professional
:25:30. > :25:33.football. So we are into the third year and
:25:33. > :25:40.orally looking ahead to next year. For the first time there will be
:25:40. > :25:44.promotion and relegation? -- and hopefully. I think it shows the game
:25:44. > :25:49.is continuing to grow and the first few years have gone ready well, but
:25:50. > :25:53.to bring more teams into the summer league... Yeah, I think it's going
:25:53. > :25:56.to help because it's more competitive anyway in the first few
:25:56. > :26:00.years but with promotional relegation at the bottom, even the
:26:00. > :26:03.teams taking points off each other more so, because it adds that bit
:26:03. > :26:09.more urgency to the players, especially if they are at the bottom
:26:09. > :26:13.of the league, and obviously more incentive for the teams coming up
:26:13. > :26:19.from division two. So it shows the progression and that it is starting
:26:19. > :26:25.to be sustainable. Let's have a look at the WSL divisions. This is as of
:26:25. > :26:29.next season. In the top division there will still be a teams. You
:26:29. > :26:39.will notice Lincoln becomes not Co. That has been a lot of controversial
:26:39. > :26:40.
:26:40. > :26:45.but the fact is, the franchise has come to an end. -- becomes not --
:26:45. > :26:51.Nottingham County. In division two, there will be ten teams and
:26:51. > :26:54.Doncaster Rovers Belles is very upset about the fact... You are
:26:54. > :27:02.effectively being ligated after the first game of the season, but just
:27:02. > :27:06.ascribe what the feeling is in Doncaster about that? -- just
:27:06. > :27:11.ascribe. Yeah, we are obviously all very disappointed. Everybody wants
:27:11. > :27:17.to play with the history so it is Willie disappointing. The timing was
:27:17. > :27:21.a factor. Like you say, after one game. -- really disappointing. We
:27:21. > :27:25.can say is that the way Doncaster has supported us and the fans have
:27:25. > :27:28.got kind us and sign petitions and been to the town centre and
:27:28. > :27:32.protests. So they have been absolutely fantastic and the weather
:27:32. > :27:35.has supported us and we just have to be professional the way we play on
:27:35. > :27:40.the pitch and play well and get results for those fans who have
:27:40. > :27:44.supported us. Because there were 33 teams who entered the bidding
:27:44. > :27:50.process and only 18 can be successful, eight in the top part
:27:50. > :27:55.and ten in the bottom. But they are playing with these criteria.
:27:55. > :27:59.Facilities, availability, financial criteria, commercial and marketing
:27:59. > :28:03.sustainability, performance, players, coaching and staff. So all
:28:03. > :28:08.of those criteria have to be taken into account. Definitely, and as I
:28:08. > :28:12.say, it is disappointing we are not in there and could not reach those
:28:12. > :28:17.criteria. Obviously I don't know the ins and outs of the bid but it is
:28:17. > :28:21.disappointing. So we just have to be as professional as we can and play
:28:21. > :28:25.this season and hopefully, for the fans, show what we are about, and we
:28:25. > :28:29.are about being professional and taking that on to the pitch.
:28:29. > :28:34.Doncaster have made an appeal against that decision so we should
:28:34. > :28:38.find out in June what the outcome is and the confirmation of those two
:28:38. > :28:42.divisions. But looking at this season, Faye, it was a bit of a
:28:42. > :28:46.shock for Arsenal on the opening day at the Emirates? It was all set up
:28:46. > :28:53.for another Arsenal victory but then full-time Liverpool ladies had other
:28:53. > :28:57.ideas. 4-0! Certainly. It was only a week after the FA Cup game which
:28:57. > :29:02.Arsenal won, so Liverpool were very determined to come and change that
:29:02. > :29:06.and make amends for that result, but if you look at the result, it says
:29:06. > :29:10.4-0 and you don't expect to concede goals and win the game. But what
:29:10. > :29:15.this doesn't show is the amount of chances Arsenal did have. A couple
:29:15. > :29:18.of clearances on the line and hitting the post on two or three
:29:18. > :29:21.occasions, but it just shows if you don't take your chances what can
:29:21. > :29:25.happen. But Liverpool will be going forward and it is good because it
:29:25. > :29:34.means the league is more competitive. At I tell you what -
:29:34. > :29:42.this doesn't look very common, does that? But we did have a fabulous
:29:42. > :29:48.goal from Steph how to. And Bristol Academy one all of their games so
:29:48. > :29:54.far. So the only one with a 100% record. Yes, and all credit to them
:29:54. > :29:58.because they are a young team. So for them to grow each year and start
:29:58. > :30:02.like that, and have a great run in the cup, they will come into this
:30:02. > :30:05.game on Sunday with all guns blazing. And they have that
:30:05. > :30:10.experience now and that feeling that they can not -- that they can upset
:30:10. > :30:14.other teams, which they have done. Ahead of the FA Cup final, Arsenal
:30:14. > :30:18.and Bristol faced each other in a different competition, just seven
:30:18. > :30:25.days before the big match in Doncaster. They met at the
:30:25. > :30:29.Intercontinental cup group stage. Pre-match, both sides were keen to
:30:29. > :30:36.play down the effect this would have on preparations for the cup final.
:30:36. > :30:41.Both teams rested regulars. I draw was enough to see the holders of the
:30:41. > :30:44.cup through to the semifinals. It was the team with something to play
:30:44. > :30:54.for who went ahead. Ellen White finished clinically. Bristol then
:30:54. > :30:55.
:30:55. > :31:01.levelled. Jennifer Beattie misjudged the ball. Seconds before the break,
:31:01. > :31:11.The Vixens were in front. Bristol's persistence caused Arsenal's
:31:11. > :31:14.
:31:14. > :31:18.consistency this season, Shelley Kerr needed to give a strong
:31:19. > :31:24.half-time team talk. Whatever she said worked. Four minutes after the
:31:24. > :31:28.restart, the Gunners were level. Good work from Gemma Davison caused
:31:28. > :31:32.chaos in the Bristol box. Jordan Nobbs was on hand to apply a simple
:31:32. > :31:37.finish. Arsenal regained the lead finish. Arsenal regained the lead
:31:37. > :31:41.five minutes later. Superb vision from Kim Little to pick out Danielle
:31:41. > :31:46.Carter. Despite the tight angle she produced a shot with too much pace
:31:46. > :31:51.for Siobhan Chamberlain. The victory was sealed with a fourth goal later
:31:51. > :31:55.on. Gemma Davison again was the creator. Kim Little was the
:31:55. > :31:59.beneficiary. A timely upturn in fortunes for the Gunners. 4-2 was
:31:59. > :32:03.the score. It remains to be seen whether the dress rehearsal will
:32:03. > :32:09.have any effect on Sunday's showpiece. I don't think we can take
:32:09. > :32:15.a great deal from today's game. It was the Continental cup. Next week
:32:15. > :32:20.is the FA Cup. We will go about things differently. We have a week
:32:20. > :32:24.to prepare. Come Sunday, we will definitely be looking for a result.
:32:24. > :32:28.When you've lost that game before the cup final you will always say it
:32:28. > :32:30.is completely different. But Bristol did have seven regular starters on
:32:30. > :32:33.did have seven regular starters on the bench. Will it have any bearing
:32:33. > :32:39.did have seven regular starters on the bench. Will it have any I don't
:32:39. > :32:42.think so. Mark will have gone into that game with a different
:32:42. > :32:46.mentality. It was a different competition and they had already
:32:46. > :32:53.lost. He was obviously giving the younger girls an opportunity. Four
:32:53. > :32:58.of them were under 18. You had many of the players up in the stand
:32:58. > :33:03.watching the game. They will bring in those players. It will be a very
:33:03. > :33:09.different team. Also for Arsenal there were a few changes, Jane
:33:09. > :33:13.Bailey, a young player, not her first start in midfield. A few
:33:13. > :33:18.changes at the back. Both managers do not want to show their hand. You
:33:18. > :33:24.certainly don't want mind games and week before the final. You would be
:33:24. > :33:28.happy to be rested before the cup final. The last thing you want is to
:33:28. > :33:34.get injured. Without a doubt. They don't want to give anything away.
:33:34. > :33:39.There are a few main game going on. You can just see Bristol, they have
:33:39. > :33:44.got that development. Several of the players have come through. That is a
:33:44. > :33:48.great example of how you can develop a club. For them to come and play
:33:48. > :33:54.against Arsenal would be a great experience. Hopefully they will
:33:54. > :33:59.stake a claim to play in the final the week after. They do have some
:33:59. > :34:05.good players coming through, don't they? They really do. That shows how
:34:05. > :34:11.much it has progressed and the game is getting better. WSDL are doing it
:34:11. > :34:17.the right way. Some of those players who played well will ask for a shot
:34:17. > :34:24.in the cup final. -- Bristol are playing well. They will fancy a run
:34:24. > :34:28.out. It is important to have experience of coming off the bench.
:34:28. > :34:32.Social media has become an integral part of the game. Many of the
:34:32. > :34:37.players are very active on Twitter. Each team has a digital ambassador
:34:37. > :34:41.acting as a link between the club and the fans. Steph Houghton and
:34:42. > :34:46.Siobhan Chamberlain at the dash and third questions from the fans ahead
:34:46. > :34:54.of the FA Cup final. Our cameras went along to find out how they
:34:54. > :35:02.feared. We are here to do a live question-and-answer session. It is a
:35:02. > :35:07.way of interacting with the fans. Because I am responsible for
:35:07. > :35:11.promoting the club, I do this. sure lots of people have questions
:35:11. > :35:18.for us. I had a look and there are some questions coming in that are
:35:18. > :35:25.good. Do you have a favourite FA Cup final? Personal one was winning the
:35:25. > :35:30.first one. 2-0. I don't want to speak about the match against
:35:30. > :35:38.Liverpool. What are you most looking forward to about the FA Cup final?
:35:38. > :35:46.Winning it. What music do you listen to in the changing room? I used to
:35:46. > :35:53.do music, I think I am getting on a bit because I have moved on. Why?
:35:53. > :35:58.Because you're nearly 30? Cut! That is outrageous. What is your
:35:58. > :36:01.favourite memory of playing in the final? It would have to be the one
:36:01. > :36:09.when we played you. The whole occasion was amazing. I was going to
:36:09. > :36:15.say the same thing. When we came out, and this -- and the fans were
:36:15. > :36:23.behind the goal. That is my favourite memory. Is this relevant?
:36:23. > :36:31.Have you dreams of scoring the winner in the cup final? Yes!I have
:36:31. > :36:37.dreamt about it. I'm not going to lie. Have you been practising
:36:37. > :36:44.penalties? Would you fancy yourself to save or score it? Will you take
:36:44. > :36:49.one? I would rather concentrate on saving them. Does the winner of the
:36:49. > :36:57.cup gets bragging rights in the England camp? I'm on my own in the
:36:58. > :37:02.England camp. I meant team-mates. I have got friends. Who is going to
:37:02. > :37:11.win? I think it will be a high-scoring game. I do not want it
:37:11. > :37:16.to be but you guys can score goals, we have been scoring goals. I will
:37:16. > :37:17.see you in the final. Good luck. see you in the final. Good luck.
:37:17. > :37:24.Good luck. Should you wish to get in Good luck. Should you wish to get
:37:24. > :37:32.any of them, here are the contacts. There is somebody they are called
:37:32. > :37:36.Sue Smith, supposedly writes about what her team are up to. You can go
:37:36. > :37:39.what her team are up to. You can go and follow her and any of the other
:37:39. > :37:44.what her team are up to. You can go and follow her and any of the In
:37:44. > :37:51.terms of the final, what do you think? It's going to be a close
:37:51. > :37:55.game. If there's a time to play it's probably no. They are inconsistent.
:37:55. > :37:59.They are normally so consistent. They have won every game, into the
:37:59. > :38:05.final, and it is a foregone conclusion. This year there has been
:38:05. > :38:09.some upsets. If Bristol are going to believe they need to believe now. On
:38:09. > :38:15.the other hand, I have watched Arsenal a few times and they have
:38:15. > :38:22.created so many chances. Will they start to put those chances away?
:38:22. > :38:26.Will the floodgates open? It could go either way. No trophies yet for
:38:26. > :38:31.Bristol, 38 for Arsenal. Bristol players and managers will hate me
:38:31. > :38:35.for saying that. Will that be weighing on their minds?
:38:35. > :38:42.experience of playing in the final is one thing you need to manage. 15
:38:42. > :38:47.and 20 minutes, I have played in a few and even the last one, you still
:38:47. > :38:52.get nervous, you get adrenaline. Obviously Arsenal have that
:38:52. > :38:57.experience but I believe Bristol will be going in, seeing themselves
:38:57. > :39:00.as underdogs, there is no pressure, and they will set the team up to
:39:00. > :39:04.fight for each other and they will come with a gameplan. They are very
:39:04. > :39:09.good executing that. They also play attractive football. It should be
:39:09. > :39:15.attractive. We will make chances and it is just whether we can put them
:39:15. > :39:20.away. We shall see. While the build-up will continue, the main
:39:20. > :39:29.event is days away. The FA women's cup final is live on BBC Two this
:39:29. > :39:32.Sunday. We are nearer 2pm. I will be in the company of the girls again.