Journalism & News from Bournemouth University

Bournemouth kick off Hampshire Cup defence in South Coast derby

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The Bournemouth team celebrate winning the Hampshire FA Cup. Maisy Smith is front and centre holding the trophy. The team is jumping up and down.
Championes, championes, ole, ole, ole: AFC Bournemouth Women celebrate beating Southampton FC u21s in 2022/23 on penalties | Photo by: Zach Sampson

AFC Bournemouth Women travel to Winklebury Football Complex on Sunday to take on Southampton Women in the first round of the Hampshire FA Cup.

The Boscombe side are currently back-to-back champions of the competition after beating Southampton FC u21s 9-8 on penalties in 2022/23 and Southampton RTC Academy 3-1 in 2023/24.

Cherries boss Steve Cuss was full of admiration for the competition: “The Hampshire Cup has provided us some real high moments over the last couple of seasons.

“It was dominated by Portsmouth; I think they’ve won it 13 years in a row. We managed to knock them out to get to the final and then we were runners-up in one year and then we’ve got to two finals and that great night down at Fratton Park where we won on a penalty shoot-out will stay with us for a long time.”

Last time these two teams faced each other, Erin Bloomfield bagged a hattrick against her former club as Bournemouth comfortably beat Sunday’s hosts 10-0 away from home.

Erin Bloomfield slide tackling an Arsenal u21s player
Getting stuck in: Erin Bloomfield slide tackling an Arsenal u21s player a week before she scored a hat trick against Southampton Women | Photo by: Zach Sampson

The South Coast derby is a fixture that Cuss’ side has become all too familiar with: “Southampton is somebody we’ve had great rivalry with over the last five or six seasons where they were a league above us and we drew them in the FA Cup and then we drew them in the FA Cup again when we were in the same league and some real challenges.

“They’ve fallen on a little bit of hard times in the last 12 months or so but they’ve got good young players that they’re blooding very early into this level of football but they’re full of energy, full of desire and that proves to be another challenge and one that we’ve got to be at our best to try and beat on Sunday.”

Steve Cuss stood in the rain wearing a black waterproof jacket with a BU sponsorship on his jacket
Steve Cuss: The Bournemouth manager is focused on retaining the Hampshire FA Cup | Photo by: Zach Sampson

Bournemouth’s back-to-back Hampshire FA Cup wins is far short of Portsmouth record breaking 13 in a row, but the Cherries’ boss is looking for a hattrick of competition triumphs: “We want to retain it. It’s provided some really special moments for us.”

As Cuss and his team aim to extend their successful run in this historic competition, all eyes will be on Winklebury Football Complex for what promises to be another thrilling chapter in the South Coast derby.