Just two days after kicking off their league campaign with a 3–1 win over Bridgwater United, Moneyfields return to action, heading to FA Women’s National League newcomers Ascot United for their opening fixture in the revamped FA WNL Cup group stage.
The FA Women’s National League Cup has undergone a major revamp for the 2025–26 season, with a brand-new format designed to broaden competition and provide more opportunities for players. The most significant change is the introduction of a group stage, replacing the traditional straight knockout system. The competition now begins with 22 groups of four teams, giving clubs more matches and a more balanced pathway before the knockout rounds.
For the first time, Professional Game Academy (PGA) teams from Women’s Super League and Championship clubs have also been invited to take part. The inclusion of academy sides is intended to give young players greater exposure to senior-level football, while at the same time adding another competitive edge to the tournament.
After the group stage, teams are split into two competitions depending on their finishing position. The 22 group winners and the 10 best runners-up advance into the main National League Cup knockout stages. Meanwhile, the remaining 12 runners-up and the 20 best third-placed teams move into the National League Plate, which also follows a knockout format. Both the Cup and Plate then proceed with four elimination rounds before reaching their respective finals.
This expansion brings the total number of participants to 88 teams, underlining the scale of the competition in its new form. With more fixtures, the involvement of academy talent, and the safety net of the Plate for teams that fall short of the top spots, the restructured format is set to make the FA WNL Cup more competitive, inclusive, and developmental than ever before.
Moneyfields got their FA WNL South-West campaign off to the perfect start with a 3-1 win over Bridgwater United at the John Jenkins Stadium. Meg Fox opened the scoring in style, firing in a stunning 30-yard strike to give the hosts the lead inside the first 20 minutes. Ali Hall thought she had doubled the advantage on her competitive debut as captain, but her effort was ruled out for offside, before Britt Jeal sent a chance over the bar.
Bridgwater hit back after the break, with Beatriz Kretteis levelling just before the hour mark, but Moneys responded immediately through Fox again, who smashed home a superb free-kick on her birthday.
The momentum stayed with the hosts as Shannon Albuery won and converted a penalty minutes later to make it 3-1, sealing the victory despite further missed chances to extend the lead.
Ascot United made an encouraging debut at National League level but were undone by a stunning strike in a narrow 1–0 defeat away to Bristol Rovers Women.
Andy Cox’s side started brightly, with Molly Gladwell going closest in the early stages, while defender Darcey Maxted and goalkeeper Cherry Preisner kept the home attack at bay. Despite surviving a series of chances from Rovers, Ascot went into half-time level, having shown plenty of resilience in front of their travelling supporters at the Memorial Ground.
The second half remained competitive, with standout performer Katelyn Wort and Preisner combining to frustrate the hosts. However, Rovers finally broke through in the 75th minute when Maisie Collis rifled in a long-range effort. Ascot nearly hit back instantly as substitute Dani Dias saw her volley superbly saved, but the hosts held firm to secure the points.
Last Meeting
Date: 20 February 2022
Competition: Southern Region Women’s Football League Premier
Venue: Moneyfields Avenue
Result: Moneyfields 3–0 Ascot United
Goal scorers: Kirsty Pearce, Katie Shorter x2
In the build-up to the match, first team manager, Karl Watson said, “The games are coming thick and fast, with three in the first week, which makes for a lively start. That’s exactly why we’ve built a big squad. We were able to share minutes around today, and we’ve still got a few more players to come back in. We’ll go again with fresh legs and be ready for the next challenge.”
There is likely to be a familiar face in the Ascot line up, with full-back Katelyn Wort having departed Moneys over the summer after making thirteen appearances for the club.
Match Information
- Kick-off:19:45 (Gates open at 18:45)
- Tickets: Adults £5 | Concessions £3 | U18s £1
- Available: https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/MatchCentre/Index/13925
- Parking: Free parking is available.
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