Ladies cup final preview

West Ham United Ladies FC will go for glory when they take on Colchester United in the final of the Essex County Cup on Sunday.

Tony Marshall's team go into this weekend's showdown confident of lifting the first senior trophy in the club's history at Maldon Town's Wallace Binder Ground.

West Ham, who sit third in the FA Tesco Women's Premier League Southern Division table, have already met sixth-placed Colchester twice in the league this season, winning 2-1 away from home in late September before going down to a 2-0 home defeat on 1 February.

Despite that reverse, Marshall believes his squad has what it takes to bring the silverware back to the Boleyn Ground. West Ham go into the final on a four-match unbeaten run, having thrashed Ipswich Town 5-0 in their most recent league match.

"We're confident. I've not even going to do a team-talk, I'm just going to tell them to play the way they've been playing over the last few weeks and they'll win. We just need that winning mentality that we will get by winning a trophy. Once we've won something, things will move on and it will spur them on a bit more.

"The girls area all relaxed as they know what they've got to do. They know they are good enough and I just want them to play the way they can. It's their day and I want them to do it for themselves."

That squad for Sunday's game will include inspirational captain Lindsey Morgan and goal machine Sam Pittuck, who has struck 19 times in 21 appearances so far this season. At the back, goalkeeper Paris Smith will be protected by a defence marshalled by defenders Jade Dempster, Carly Roache and Jess Barling.

Using a real blend of youth and experience, West Ham won through to the final by beating Chelmsford City 4-1, Billericay Town 15-0, Brentwood Town 5-0 and Braintree Town 9-0 in the semi-final on 15 February.

Colchester, meanwhile, brushed aside the challenge of Dagenham and Redbridge 9-1 and West Bergholt 3-1 on their way to the final. The U's main threat is likely to come from striker Helen Bass who, with 12 goals, is second only to Pittuck in the FA Tesco Women's Premier League Southern Division goalscoring charts.

The north Essex side go into the final on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions and overcame Barnet 1-0 in their most recent league match.

Sunday's final will kick-off at 2pm.

West Ham United: (from) Paris Smith, Rosy Sullivan, Jade Dempster, Carly Roache, Jess Barling, Tracey Duxbury, Lindsey Morgan (c), Sam Pittuck, Katie Holmes, Gemma Shepherd, Zoe Marshall, Nat Grafton, Clare Rogers, Julia Setford