Osborne challenges Brentford Women to prove their credentials ...
Sam Tabuteau, Sports Editor•
Karleigh Osborne has challenged Brentford Women to show how far they've come as they prepare to host Fulham in the FA Cup third round.
Brentford's historic FA Cup run continues this Sunday as they host west London rivals Fulham at Bedfont Sports Ground, and Osborne says their run to the third round has been the perfect opportunity for Brentford to showcase their ability.
"These are the types of games we've been trying to prepare our players for over a number of years and this is a stage to showcase how good they are."
Brentford were unlucky to miss out on promotion last season but they've used that frustration as motivation this year and are yet to lose a game across all competitions.
The Bees' perfect start to the new campaign includes impressive victories over London Seaward and Ascot United in the FA Cup, who sit above Brentford in the women’s football pyramid.
Fulham are the division above Brentford and themselves will provide a stern test for Osborne's side but one they'll relish after an impressive start to the season.
"Fulham are a really good team, it will be a tough challenge. But I believe if we perform at the levels that we can, we'll give ourselves a really good chance of getting a result."
Brentford are expecting a capacity crowd on Sunday as they look to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.
Neither side will need any extra motivation heading into the game and Osborne says his team will look to use that edge to their advantage.
“We do a lot of work with our players on the psychological part of the game and this is where we can showcase what we’ve been doing.
“The girls have to be ready for a battle because ultimately that’s what it’s going to be. Fulham aren’t going to come here and just roll over. We want to challenge them in every game way we can.”
Women’s Super League sides potentially lay in wait for the winners of Sunday’s tie.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for a Brentford team who’ve shown their mettle under pressure this season.
