Women’s Academy player Holly-Mae Elmes is relishing the opportunity to test herself against a promotion-winning Fulham side on Sunday (19 April) as our Under-19s compete in the semi-final of the Capital Senior Cup.
Alongside facing fellow Professional Game Academy sides week in, week out, our youngsters have been competing against senior teams in cup competitions – the FA Women’s National League Cup at the beginning of the campaign and, most recently, the Capital Senior Cup which has been an enjoyable journey so far for our youngsters.
Overcoming Dulwich Hamlet in the first round of competition, a 2-1 victory away from home, Sabiha Jamal’s side then went on to record an emphatic 5-2 win over London Bees in the quarter-final to secure their spot in the last four, where they will now take on the Cottagers this weekend at Motspur Park – available for supporters to attend in west London.
However, this will arguably be one of the toughest challenges of the season so far, facing a Fulham side who have just won the FA Women’s National League Division One South East title and secured promotion to the third tier of Women’s pyramid.
Part of the Under-16s players that stepped up to the Under-19s in the summer, Holly hasn’t been fazed about the experience to date in her first year at this level and is ready to come up against one of the best senior sides in the FA Women’s National League pyramid this weekend.
“We're all really excited as a team. We've worked so hard to get to this moment,” Holly said, looking ahead to Sunday’s semi-final tie. “I think our performances in the last two rounds have really proved why we should be here and cemented how well we are working as a team and the growth that we've made since the start of the season.
“Fulham are on a high at the moment, but if we just stick to what we know, what we can do and play the way we have in recent weeks, I think we can be successful against a really strong team.”
Asked about the differences she has seen when competing against more experienced players, she added: “Something that's different is the physical strength of the Women's oppositions and it's so much tougher mentally as well. It's obviously something every player needs, having the ability to go up against people that are stronger than you and can test you as a footballer.
“If you can find something that you're better at than them and keep on doing it, then I think you play to my strengths. My weakness may be that I'm not as strong as a senior player but I'm quicker than her.”
As expected for an Under-16 player making the step up to a new age group, there is always going to be bumps in the road, adjusting to a new environment and a highly competitive league, but Holly has flourished in recent months - and she puts it down to a positional change.
Known for her composure on the ball and her ability to pick out passes, whether short or long, the versatile young player has made the switch to centre-back in the second half of the season, building a strong partnership with Grace Breen, and has racked up an impressive 28 appearances in total so far, 20 of those starting in a competitive Under-19s side.
“At the start of the season I really struggled with confidence but, as the season has gone on, I think I've grown relationships with the people around me, with friends, my family helping as well, and then coaches,” she added, reflecting on her first year with the Under-19s so far.
“They're just a massive support network. They have pushed me to become more confident and to try things in training and I think the positional change has been beneficial for me.
“When I was in midfield, obviously pressure comes from all angles but when you're in defence, you can just sit back and you see the whole pitch – and I think my skillset suits it better. You can see everything in front of you, so you can just get your head up and look for them passes which I feel I’m good at doing.”
Watch | Highlights from our win over London Bees