Rugby ready to 'do damage' in league after cup run

Rugby Borough forward Ang Nixon hopes they can carry their Women's FA Cup form into their remaining league games after pushing Liverpool all the way in the fifth round.

It took their Women's Super League opponents 84 minutes to open the scoring at Kilsby Lane before eventually winning the tie 2-0 with goals from Marie Hobinger and Mia Enderby.

Rugby were one of only two third-tier sides in the fifth round draw - the other, Wolverhampton Wanderers, went down 6-0 at home to Manchester United.

"We accepted the challenge, we did everything we could. Individually, collectively, we put our hearts on the line and that showed," Nixon told BBC CWR.

"We knew we were going to have to be patient and not get frustrated. When we got on the ball, we knew we were going to have to do things in the right moments, slowing it down rather than going 100 miles per hour.

"We said 'when we're on the ball, we're going to control the ball'. That was important."

Rugby, who are fifth in Women's National League Northern Premier - 21 places below Liverpool, who are seventh in the WSL - next play leaders Nottingham Forest away on Thursday evening.

"We're all going to have that confidence of what we did to a WSL team. People would have thought we were in the same league," said Nixon.

"If we can take on the players in the WSL, we can do it in our own league. We're all going to be on form (against Forest), we're used to (playing against) really good players and we're going to go and do damage."

Rugby skipper Ebonie Wiseman said the team knew a "big shift" was going to be required to compete with Liverpool.

"We stuck to the game plan, we knew what we wanted to do, stop them playing through us and go on the counter," she added.

"To come away losing 2-0 against a side with international players, obviously they're full-time, the girls can walk away and be so proud of that performance."