We can only get better, says Charlton Athletic skipper Jenny Newman

Both of our highest-ranked women’s teams kick-off their FA Women’s Cup campaigns against lower league opposition on Sunday.

Gillingham – who lead The FA Premier League Southern Division table by three points – travel to Kingsbury to play Queens Park Rangers in the Second Round at 1pm.

Queens Park Rangers are in second place in the South East Combination League with one defeat in 12 league games and are three points behind leaders C&K Basildon.

Charlton Athletic, meanwhile, have home advantage as they play Milton Keynes Dons at Thamesmead Town’s Bayliss Avenue ground at 2pm.

The Dons are one place below Queens Park Rangers with 25 points from their 13 league games, four points adrift of the Hoops’.

Charlton Athletic’s stand-in skipper, Jenny Newman, 23, is targeting a long run in the competition to kick-start Stuart Weston’s sides disappointing start to their campaign.

The club reached the fifth round of the famous competition three years ago when they faced Liverpool and Newman told the club’s website she wants to replicate that run this time out.

She said: “We always want to focus on the league but the FA Cup is something you want to go as far as you can.

“I remember a few years ago when we went up to play against Liverpool and it was just a fantastic weekend.

“We want to go as far as we can. Playing a lower league side is always going to be difficult because they will really come at us but I think we’ve got the quality and the players to go far.

“This is our first game of the New Year, by the time it comes around we won’t have played for a month so everyone will want to get out there and give it a good go.”

The winger also hopes 2014 will bring better fortunes for the club, as they look to climb The FA Women’s Premier League South table, where they currently sit a disappointing seventh.

Newman said: “We can only go up to be honest; we can only get better.

“The girls all really want to work hard together. We have had a tough time this season but it’s all going to be up from here.”

Meanwhile, Gillingham manager James Marrs said he is looking forward to returning to action against Queens Park Rangers.

“The festive break has been really nice,” Marrs told his club’s website.

“It was a well-earned rest for the girls.  We have been in training but it’s nice to have a little break from the games. The girls are all refreshed and ready to go.”

And whilst many players and fans alike may be guilty in a little indulgence over the Christmas period, this is far from the case at Gillingham, with players attending a regular pattern of training with Gills’ coaching staff.

Gillingham even trained at 9 o’clock on Boxing Day morning to ensure their impressive first half the season would continue momentum.

Marrs revealed: “We have been in training over the Christmas break as I’m sure some of the other teams have been as well. As you know we have to be working harder than any other team in order to keep progressing.

“The target, as always, is to keep progressing and work as hard as we can. Hopefully we can have some success by the end of the year.”

“There is a certain style of play that we want to continue to work towards and in 2014, hopefully we can continue to try our very best to perfect it.”

Sadly, despite a fantastic approach from start to finish to the game against Keynsham last weekend, the weather proved too unsettling and Marrs’ team had to return back to Kent on Sunday morning following the postponement.

Marrs said: “Disappointment is a word used loosely with the postponement. With being fully prepared and already down there it’s no surprise we weren’t best pleased with the delightful river that decided to join us.

“But we move on from that and really look forward to taking on QPR this weekend. We know that they are good enough to be in our division so it’s no different to a league game in our eyes.

“They’re having a fantastic season and have just as much chance as us of winning the game. It should be a good spectacle.”

Gillingham skipper Danielle Carlton added: “It’s been a while since we have had a game of football so we are all buzzing to be back!”

The left-back added: “We are away to QPR in the FA Cup, last year we were knocked out by Nottingham Forest, so we are hoping to get off to a good start and keep that run going.

“We are here to put all our effort in; it’s the same with every other cup we play in including the league.  We’re here to win and that’s exactly how our attitude is and will stay!

“We carry on with the same mentality and work rate. I can’t wait to see the results we deserve.”

Visit Charlton Athletic’s website: www.cafcwomen.co.uk

Visit Gillingham’s website: www.glfc2013.wordpress.com