Friday 5th August 2022

Draws for the early qualifying rounds of the Vitality Women's FA Cup have now been released. And Royal Wootton Bassett Town will need to win on the road - something they have never done before - to advance in the competition.

By virtue of their level five status, Bassett will once again be exempt until the second qualifying round. There they will take on relatively familiar opposition in the form of Middlezoy Rovers, with the tie due to take place on Sunday 2 October.

After a defeat on penalties against Brentford two seasons and last year's high scoring 5-4 loss against Denham United, Bassett will be looking for their first win in the Women's FA Cup since the 2019-20 campaign.

Representing the club's most successful run in the competition, that season saw Bassett advance to the second qualifying round - the point at which they now enter - after recording victories against Chipping Sodbury Town and Torquay United.

However, getting back to winning ways in the Women's FA Cup will require Bassett to triumph away from home. Away ties have been a rare occurrence for Bassett. Of the 13 games they have played in the competition since first entering in 2012-13, Bassett have had home advantage on nine occasions. All four away contests have so far ended in defeat though.

Middlezoy will be playing in the South West Regional Women's Football League Eastern Division in 2022-23 after finishing second from bottom in the Premier Division last season. The Somerset side did record a 4-1 home win against Bassett. But it is Bassett who hold the upper hand overall with wins in the teams' other three meetings.

In the Women's FA Cup, Middlezoy reached the third qualifying round last season. In 2021-22 they won two games as they advanced to the first qualifying round, representing their best run in the competition.

Last modified on Friday 5th August 2022 at 12:22.