EXCLUSIVE: Oxford United’s Women’s FA Cup heroes Riva Casley and Holly Manders | OneFootball

Oxford United in the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup (OUFC)

Five minutes from time against Middlesbrough on Sunday, any Oxford United fan must have thought their Women’s FA Cup run was at an end.

The U’s were 1-0 down to their visitors in the fourth round, with the clock ticking down.

Defenders Riva Casley and veteran Shelly Provan had come on in the 81st minute as they adjusted their tactics and chased the game – and Maisy Barker levelled things up in the 85th minute.

And in the final minute of the game, Casley turned things around to make it 2-1, heading home from a corner – with head coach Liam Gilbert’s words ringing in her head.

“He’s set me a personal challenge over the last few weeks to be a little bit more dominant in both boxes,” she tells SheKicks.net. “So I just took the opportunity when it came, and it just happened to be the first corner that we got as soon as I came on. I had him in the back of my mind telling me, ‘Get your head on it!’

“And I managed to do it – and then the comeback was on.”

She adds: “I think aerially I’m quite dominant anyway, so the fact that he said to me about making a point of improving it and being a little bit more dominant, a little bit more aggressive in both boxes and using my height to an advantage – it was nice for it to come off.”

Holly Manders, a former Middlesbrough player herself, wrapped things up in additional time to seal a 3-1 victory – and she did it in truly spectacular style.

It’ll be one for the showreel, she says.

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“As tired as I was, I thought I’d just swing a leg at it and it ended up going quite well!” she smiles. “So yeah, I’m happy with that one.”

Riva Casley: Oxford United is home to me

Casley spent time in WSL2 with Portsmouth before returning to Oxford last summer, and she says it feels like home – combining her football with her day job as a painter and decorator.

“I loved my time at Portsmouth when I was there, and I hit a different point in my career where I had to think about other things and consider other things, so there was only really one place that I would have gone. Coming back home to Oxford was everything to me. Doing the things that we’re doing now is incredible.”

And they have another home tie in the fifth round – this time against WSL2 leaders Charlton Athletic, a draw they’re relishing already.

“When we fill Court Place Farm out, it’s bouncing,” says Casley. “It’s a hard place to come to on the 4G pitch. Liam’s got this mentality about it that no one comes there and beats us, so I think as we start to build that culture, by the time that we get get to that game on 22nd February, we’ll be a hard team to come and try and beat.”

In the meantime, it’s back to league action, beginning with a match against Cheltenham Town on Sunday.

“Obviously we didn’t get off to the best start that we know the team’s capable of,” says Manders, reflecting on their FA Women’s National League Southern Premier campaign so far. “But I think if every week we just keep going out there and picking up maximum points, I don’t see why something can’t be achieved.”