Barnsley FC Ladies are hoping to join their male colleagues in competing for glory this season, as they prepare for their Sheffield Senior Cup semi-final at Worksop Town Ladies on Sunday.
The Reds have been in the final in the last three seasons, all against Huddersfield Town who they beat in 2016 before losing the next two finals. The other semi-final sees Huddersfield take on Sheffield United.
Worksop play at a lower level than Barnsley’s reserves side in Division Two of the Sheffield and Hallamshire, which they lead with 23 wins and a draw from 24 games this season as well as 152 goals.
Barnsley manager Chris Hamilton said: “We’re in the last four of the cup and we’ll be looking to get as far as we can in it. The club has a good history of getting to the final and we want to continue that and then try to take the trophy. Worskop will give us a very difficult game. They are absolutely flying in their league and, when it is a big cup game like this, the league you play in isn’t important.Both teams are on really good form so it is whoever plays the best on the day.”
Barnsley play in Division One North of the Women’s National League, which is the fourth tier in England. With six games left, they are 12 points behind runaway leaders Burnley but only one off the top two. The match at Chorley on Sunday was called off.
Barnsley then drew 2-2 at Leeds United on Wednesday. Sophie Bell’s header put the Reds ahead in injury-time at the end of the first half. Leeds levelled but then scored an own goal from a Lissa Woodhouse cross. The hosts levelled in injury-time after a free-kick hit the bar and the rebound was turned in.
The Reds are now unbeaten in 11 league games with seven wins in that run. The result left fourth-placed Barnsley a point above their fifth-placed local rivals Leeds in a congested section of the table with five sides separated by just four points.
“We just want to finish as high as we can. It’s Burnley’s league to lose but we want to get as many wins as we can until the end of the season and see where it takes us. We are on really good form and we want to keep that run going until the end of the season.”
Hamilton, a former professional footballer in Scotland, was given the job at the end of last season in which the Reds’ stayed up on goal difference. He said: “We are miles ahead of where I thought we would be when I took over and that is all down to the hard work of the girls who have been excellent all season.”
With Barnsley’s men’s team competing for promotion in League One, Hamilton is hoping that both sides have glorious ends to the season. Hamilton said: “I think the men’s team have got a really good chance. We will hope to join them in getting a promotion, next season if not this season. But if we win a trophy and the men get promoted that would be a good double for the club.”
