OPINION: Three talking points from the opening round of Conti Cup group matches | OneFootball

The FA Women’s Continental League Cup group stage got underway this week with 10 fixtures being contested.

As expected, those games produced goals, controversy and plenty of drama with four of the ties being decided on penalty kicks.

FAWSL Full-Time have reviewed the midweek action and here are three talking points from those opening group games in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup.

The increased professionalism of the FA Women’s Championship has helped close the gap

The FA Women’s Continental League Cup of previous years has a bit of a reputation of heavy winning scorelines for Barclays FA Women’s Super League clubs when facing their FA Women’s Championship counterparts.

While the absence of Chelsea and Arsenal in the group stage has made a difference, as well as top flight clubs rotating their starting XI’s, you simply can’t deny that the growth of professionalism in the FA Women’s Championship has narrowed the gap in quality between sides in the top two leagues. The Barclays FA Women’s Super League will always have world class players but the FA Women’s Championship is now producing players of a real professional quality too.

Five of this week’s 10 ties threw up top tier versus second tier clashes with three of the FA Women’s Championship clubs collecting at least a point, congratulations go to Bristol City, Liverpool and Durham on their results. In the entire group stage last season, just three positive results were recorded by second tier sides meaning that they have already performed as well against their top flight rivals this season as they did last year.

Manchester City’s affinity with the FA Women’s Continental League Cup goes on

Manchester City have traditionally done very well in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup. They are the competition’s second most successful club with four final appearances and three victories.

This season has been tough for head coach Gareth Taylor with his squad numbers significantly reduced by a catalogue of injuries. Nevertheless, those players who were fit served their boss well by thumping Everton 5-1 at The Academy Stadium. With five different goalscorers and three points on the board, Taylor had reason to smile on Wednesday evening. The FA Women’s Continental League Cup is a competition which Manchester City are really serious about winning this season, especially given their early UEFA Women’s Champions League exit.

Durham produce another stellar cup performance

The story of the opening round of matches came at a packed out Maiden Castle where Durham battled to a 2-2 draw with top tier giants Manchester United before eventually going down 5-3 on penalties.

The occasion was a real delight for North East football with rows and rows of spectators, a mile-long queue for burgers and a pretty special atmosphere, that’s before we even discuss the drama on the pitch. Durham have never known anything quite like it but the occasion will undoubtedly have left them craving more of the same on a more regular basis in the months and years to come.

Durham are ultra-consistent on their own pitch and they carried their form into their tie against a Manchester United side boasting virtually a full team of current internationals. The Red Devils twice took the lead at Maiden Castle but you can never rule Durham out and they came back on both occasions. While The Wildcats lost the resulting penalty shootout 5-3, it was a very special night for Lee Sanders’ side who continue to go from strength-to-strength after their blistering start to the FA Women’s Championship season.

Durham are getting ever-closer to achieving their Barclays FA Women’s Super League dream and on last night’s evidence, the club have the quality on the pitch and the demand for women’s top flight football off it.

The next round of FA Women’s Continental League Cup group games are set to take place during the week commencing 1 November.