Hillians ladies hopeful of pulling off semi-final shock

They welcome Women’s Southern Premier Division side Charlton to Leylands Park on February 21 in a mouth-watering Bostik Women’s Cup semi final.

With several leagues separating the sides, the Hillians will be hoping to cause a major upset as they battle to earn a lucrative place in the final against West Ham Ladies, another top flight outfit.

Charlton have made light work of their opponents in the previous stages of the competition, as they demolished Tonbridge Angels 22-0 in the first round, followed by a 5-0 victory over Enfield Town in their quarter final.

Burgess Hill are yet to play in the competition, with all of their previous round opponents withdrawing early, however they face an extremely tough task in order to progress beyond their first match.

Charlton are also in excellent league form, with three straight wins in succession, which includes a 9-0 victory over Swindon on January 28.

With an anticipated crowd that could rise to more than 100,the tie has the potential to attract one of the biggest crowds that the second oldest women’s team in Sussex has ever played in front of.

The current crowd record stands at 310, which was achieved during an FA Womens Cup match at The Dripping Pan Stadium in Lewes.

Previous games against potential final opponents West Ham have also attracted major interest in the past, with the attendance also in the lower hundreds when the sides last took each other on in 2015.

Ahead of the highly anticipated fixture, Hillians Chairman Peter Hickman said: “It’s always good to play against top class opposition, and to play in front of a good crowd, and have the opportunity to show the skills of women’s football.

“Having been actively involved with the Club since its start in 1978, it is pleasing to see how far Women’s football has come.”