Katie Johnson and Beth Roberts cannot wait to step out in front of a packed out SEAH Stadium on Saturday evening as Wolves Women host Women’s FA Cup holders Manchester United in a mouth-watering fifth round tie.
The defenders have both been key members of Dan McNamara’s side once again this season as they reached the last 16 of the competition for the second year in succession, and are relishing the chance to pit themselves against one of the top sides in the women’s game.
On initial reactions to the draw
Johnson: “It was great. When the draw first came out, I think there was some shocked reactions and some mixed reactions in the group of, ‘this is going to be tough’, but I think we're all really excited.
“The buzz has been building during the past few weeks, we've had some tough games to focus on, but I think now we can just enjoy this week, enjoy the moment and let the fans enjoy the moment as well. They deserve as much as we do, so I’m really excited, but everyone is.”
Game mode 🔛 pic.twitter.com/skFCTKP2xA
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) February 6, 2025
On facing Super League opposition at home once again
Roberts: “We played against Brighton [in the fifth round] last season and that was a massive game, but this one just feels even bigger than that.
“United are one of the biggest teams in the country, if not the world, so it does feel surreal. I can't quite believe the week and the build-up is finally here, but I’m so excited.”
Johnson: “It's crazy. It's what you dream for, isn't it? Getting there and being at that top elite level, is what you dream of, so playing against them is something that I didn't think would happen at this time in my career.
“I'm happy that I've been able to have this experience come up on me, so I’m really happy and my family are absolutely buzzing as well. They can't wait for the whole day. They've got a whole day planned out for it, so they're really excited as well.”
On not getting distracted since the draw was made
Johnson: “It’s definitely been difficult not to think about this game when we had some really important league games in between. We had to talk about it because there's been a lot of stuff going on around it and it created a nice buzz, but at the same time, we had a big job to focus on.
“But now that this week's here, we all just need to enjoy the moment. Macca said on Sunday [after Rugby Borough] that now that that game was done, we just need to enjoy this moment, because they don't come around often. Now we can just embrace it.”
Roberts: “The coaching staff have just been reminding us that it's 90 minutes of football and it's like any other game we've played.
“We will get out on the pitch, try and do what we do best, focus on the game, try not to focus too much on the build-up and everything else that's going on, and treat it as a game of football rather than an occasion, so that's what we're all trying to do.”
On playing in front of a packed out SEAH Stadium
Roberts: “It's absolutely massive. When I think about it, it gives me goosebumps. Usually, we have a few hundred at Telford and you can hear them all. It feels like we have a big following anyway, so the thought of 5,000 fans packed into the into there is just crazy.
“They'll be the 12th man, for sure, and that's just what we need in a game that's going to be so hard and so tough. We’re going to need that 12th man and the fans backing us all along the way.”
Johnson: “A lot of my family are coming and I told them to get their tickets as soon as possible because I knew they'd sell out really quick. It's an occasion for everyone and I think all the fans really deserve it. The ones that follow us week in week out will probably deserve it one of the most, because we can hear them loud and clear every week.
“To try and get more people on top of their chants and the stuff that they do for us, which we really appreciate every week, will be fantastic. And like Robbo said, they'll be our 12th man and maybe push us over the line – we'll see.”
