Camden Town WFC lost out to Abingdon United in the third qualifying round

THE FA Cup dream is over for another season, but the pride still very much remains for a squad of ambitious footballers – who will now quickly switch their sights to other silverware.

Camden Town WFC’s first-ever appearance in the third qualifying round of the prestigious competition ended in a 2-0 defeat to higher-ranked Abingdon United.

The club will now focus on playing catch-up in Division One North of the London & South East Regional League, where their cup run has left them with valuable games in hand over the five teams above them.

And there were plenty of positives to take from Sunday’s narrow and very competitive loss against a side sitting two divisions above Town in the football pyramid.

Manager Harry Sherman said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the players. We went toe-to-toe with one of the strongest sides we could have drawn at this stage of the competition, and we matched them for large parts of the game.

“On another day, it could have easily gone our way. Every single player gave everything, and that’s all we can ask for.”

With Town’s usual Maurice Rebak Stadium home currently undergoing crucial renovations, a strong crowd followed the club to Old Finchlians Memorial Ground in Finchley for the FA Cup showdown against United.

And they were almost given the perfect reason to cheer early on when Orla Conlan unleashed a rasping effort that looked destined for the top corner before being bravely blocked by an Abingdon defender.

Sixteen-year-old forward Jada-Chey’ah Graham, making only her second FA Cup appearance, was also a constant menace up front, using her pace and power to trouble the visiting backline throughout.

It was, however, Abingdon who made the all-important breakthrough midway through the first half when Molly Lygo-Jackson pounced from close range after Camden were unable to fully clear a corner.

In the second half, Camden pushed hard for an equaliser. But Abingdon put the tie to rest on 75 minutes when Erin Hartigan added the finishing touches to a swift counter-attack.

Meet the players at pub talk

FANS are being given the chance to get to know the players behind all the success this Monday when the Camden Town WFC squad turns out for a special meet-and-greet.

The team will be gathering at the Prince Albert Pub in Royal College Street, Camden Town, for drinks and to talk about all things football.

Club chairman Richard Mahoney is hoping the two-hour event, which gets underway at 6.30pm, will be the first of many.

He said: “Our Camden in the Community project is all about bringing local businesses, charities, and community organisations together to celebrate and strengthen Camden.

“As a club, we’re proud to represent Camden in everything we do, so we’re kicking things off with a launch event at the Prince Albert. We’re planning to make these gatherings a regular part of community life, so we’d love to hear from anyone who’d like to get involved.”