Chesterfield Women secure FA Cup progress

The 3-1 win at Grimsby Borough came thanks to goals from Kel Fidler in the first-half and then Emily Mapley-Sims and Gina Camfield in the second-half, after the hosts had equalised just after half-time.

And Noon praised his players for they way they saw off their opponents in difficult conditions.

He said: “It wasn’t a nice day weather-wise but it was a good day to give a few players a run-out who haven’t played many games recently.

"To do it in the conditions we had to do it in and to get through to the next round, we’re chuffed to bits.

"There were four or five regular names missing from the team today and to be able to bring some of the fringe players in is brilliant.

"They’ve all done themselves proud and that’s what we want in a squad where they support the other players when they’re not playing but take their opportunity when these games come around. Some of them have given us something to think about which is fantastic.”

Noon added that a cup run is important to the club given the momentum it can create alongside the league campaign.

He said: “You don’t want to come here after getting a great result a few weeks ago and then start losing games. We were keen to get the win, keep the momentum and the good vibe going and the girls have done that.”

Chesterfield defender Liv White, meanwhile, echoed her manager in emphasising the importance of the win.

She said: “It was great to see the depth we have in the team as we have had a lot of players playing more frequently so it showed the talent we have in the squad as we dominated the game.

"The rain came from nowhere as one minute it was fine and then it chucked it down but we dealt with it and didn’t let it throw us off our game, stayed professional and kept the game under control.

"The young players really stepped up and the communication was really good and it showed age doesn’t really matter as they did a great job.”

Next up for Chesterfield is a visit to Northampton Town Ladies on Sunday in the league.