Newbridge Town looking forward to tackling Dublin giants

You could argue that Saturday’s Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup quarter-final between Newbridge Town and Bohemians (kick off 6pm) is the highest profile game of women’s football to ever be played in the county.

Newbridge made history in the last round when they beat Whitehall Rangers to become the first Kildare team to make the last eight of the most prestigious women’s cup competition in the country.

Their reward for that win was a home tie against Dublin giants Bohemians and captain Ella Gleeson is relishing the occasion. She said that this was the draw the team wanted, especially as they had just signed former Bohemians player Orlaith Fitzpatrick.

“Orlaith only signed for us the day before the draw and played for Bohemians so that was the one that she really wanted. It’s a big thing for the club as well to get a home draw and we’re delighted to have it in Newbridge because it’s the first big game in Kildare for women’s football,” said Gleeson.

Newbridge have maintained their league form since the last round at the end of June and a 8-1 win last Friday over Home Farm to move up to third in the Eastern Women’s Football League table.

“We’ve been doing pretty well,” said Gleeson.

“Orlaith as a new signing has helped. We’ve been doing a bit of extra training to prepare for this game. There’s a real buzz of excitement around the club. Even going in for training there’s always somebody there talking about the game and we’re really enjoying the build up.

“It will be hard but I’m not really thinking about it like that. I played in a final for the college and played against some of Cork City and Waterford’s players. I know we can get up to that level, we have a few players on the team who have played at that level before. I back myself and the team, I think we’ll be well able. We’ll have to put in a huge effort and do a lot of hard work but that will come with the adrenalin on the day,” said the Kildare Town girl.

With Bohemians lying seventh in the Womens National League table there won’t be many outside of the Newbridge Town dressing room giving them a chance but Gleeson said she would prefer it that way.

“I love being the underdog, nothing to lose. You just go out, play for yourself, play for the club and do yourself proud,” she said.

There is experience of the highest level within the team, which has increased since the arrival of Fitzpatrick.

Brooke Dunne missed the first round win over Whitehall as she was helping the Ireland team reach the semi-finals at the World Deaf Futsal Championships in Italy but has returned and proved how important she is the Newbridge Town. She played in the final of this competition in 2017 as a goalkeeper for DLR Waves when they lost to Cork City at the Aviva Stadium but these days she is a key cog in the Newbridge midfield.

“Brooke has been amazing this year, probably our best player this season. Her performances are just outstanding, she is so consistent, she never has a bad game really,” said Gleeson.

As somebody who is involved with coaching the Klub Kildare U17 girls team in the National League Gleeson is well aware of how big a deal it is for womens football in the county to have a game of this magnitude in Kildare and she is hoping that people take the opportunity to come out and support the team.

“We’re really hoping for big crowd. We hoping that all of Newbridge can come out and get behind us because we really need that extra person in the stand. We want all the young girls to come up and support us because they need to see girls playing at this sort of standard so we’re hoping people from all over the county will come down to support us and have a great day.

“I’m coaching with the Klub Kildare Under 17s and I know that some of them are coming up after they play their own game that afternoon. We’ll need all the support we can get so it would be great to see as many people as possible there on Saturday,” she said.