Albion Women can secure their best winning run in a decade at tier-three level should they beat Sutton Coldfield Town at the Alexander Stadium on Wednesday evening (ko 7.45pm).
Charlie Fripp’s side begin their Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup campaign in the process, as they face the Royals in the first-round encounter.
The hosts enter the match full of confidence after seven successive victories in all competitions, most recently beating Derby County 3-0 in the FAWNL Northern Premier.
Last time out
The Baggies most recently won the BCFA Challenge Cup in 2025 after beating Rugby Borough in the final at the Bescot Stadium, and including their emphatic title win, their form in the competition has been good in recent years.
Last season, they reached the semi-final, losing narrowly to rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at the last-four stage.
The opposition
Sutton Coldfield Town come into Wednesday's showdown in fine form after beating Sheffield FC 7-0 in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup third qualifying round.
Though in the FAWNL Division One Midlands, they have plenty of work to do after winning just one of their opening league matches, which came when they beat Chesterfield in August.
This string of results places Harry Roe’s side just outside the relegation zone in the fourth tier, just a point above Northampton Town, who currently occupy one of those spots.
And they’ll look to continue their cup momentum after last weekend, with the hope of spurring some future league form with Wednesday’s trip to the Alex.
Previous meetings
Albion Women 7-1 Sutton Coldfield Town - November 2024
It was a convincing win for Albion last time the two sides met in this competition. Ali Miller (2), Ellie May, Simran Jhamat, Fran Orthodoxou, Rhianne Oakley and an own goal ensured passage into the quarter-finals.
Albion Women 4-1 Sutton Coldfield Town - November 2021
Freya Smith, Emily Owen (2) and Trina Greaves were on target as the Baggies met Sutton in the same competition almost five years ago now.
Albion Women 7-0 Sutton Coldfield Town - February 2020
Evie Gallop scored two, along with goals from Orthodoxou, Greaves, Keeley Davies, Moriah McIntosh and Leigh Dugmore against Sutton Coldfield, again in the BCFA Challenge Cup.
Pre-match thoughts
Skipper Liv Rabjohn has overseen a vast amount of positive change since joining the club in 2023.
The 24-year-old was Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s first signing as Women’s Manager, and believes things are at their best at the moment.
The Baggies are on a seven-match winning run across league and cup competitions, and it’s form that took time to come together after losing their first two matches of the campaign.
For her personally, Rabjohn is enjoying playing in central midfield, where she can “see the whole pitch” and dictate play - something which has been key to their recent success.
She said: “It was really good on Sunday; everyone played their part exceptionally and added to such a good result. On the back of the last six games, going seven unbeaten is massive for us.
“Scoring goals is something we’ve worked on. Creating the chances and putting them away is important, and it’s nice they’re not coming out the same way - we’ve had such a different array of goals.
“I like playing in this position because you can see the whole pitch, and I can switch the play or link between the different units to get us up the pitch. Being central is really good because you can play either side, and it gives us an outlet.
“We’ve got a great group who deserve nothing less than this success. Everyone works so hard in training whether they’re on the pitch or off the pitch, and it’s nice that it’s coming together.
“We’ve gelled really well as a group, especially considering the 11 new signings. There was a bit of responsibility on us as a group of players to welcome everyone in and make sure they bed themselves in really well.
“Since I first joined, we’ve changed a lot. The club have really backed us; it’s got better with each season, and you can see it through our run of form now. We’ve brought in some special players, and now we’re seeing their qualities going forward. Everyone’s playing their part, and everyone feels very valued within the squad.
“Our goal is to go as far as we can in this competition. The goal is to win it, and every game is a challenge; we’ll go into training and keep this momentum going.”
For the fans
The Alexander Stadium (What3Words: spent.backs.shades) is an inclusive venue that is easy to get to from around the West Midlands. For directions to the Alexander Stadium, visit this link, or you can find the stadium's accessibility information here. On-site parking is available in the South Car Park, and entry for the game is through the middle entrance in the West Stand to the left of reception.
Junior supporters can enjoy an inflatable activity on the concourse throughout the night, while Baggie Bird will be out and about around the stadium. Be sure to keep an eye out, say hello and grab a photo. Presenter Paige Eagle will also keep supporters up-to-date over the PA system throughout the match.
Once inside the ground, refreshments will be served from the middle kiosk, including pies, chips and hot drinks, alongside a selection of crisps, chocolate and sweets.
How to follow
Tickets are on sale for £6 Adults, £5 Seniors (65+), £5 20-25s, £4 17-19s, £3 Under-17s and £2 Under-14s. Disabled tickets are priced at £5.
They can be purchased online now or on the gate at the Alexander Stadium on the day of the game.
For those unable to attend, coverage will be provided across Albion Women’s social media channels, as always.
The match report, reaction and match highlights will be available on the club website in the coming days.
