Kieran McKenna says it would be brilliant if Ipswich Town Women were to reach the quarter-finals of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup for the first time by beating Southampton at the Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe on Sunday afternoon (KO 2pm).
The Tractor Girls are in the fifth round for only the second time and are up against the Saints, who are among their fellow challengers at the top of FA National League Southern Premier Division.
"It would be brilliant,” McKenna said when asked about the prospect of Joe Sheehan’s side making the quarter-finals.
"Since I’ve come in, I’ve had some good conversations with Joe and the people involved with that team and it’s been great to hear and see what a successful season they’ve been having.
"Obviously to reach that stage of the FA Cup is a really good achievement already but we’re all hoping that they can go one further.
"Southampton are good rivals in that division, so it’ll be a difficult game but I know they’re all looking forward to it, preparing well and it would be great for the whole club if they could make that next step and go to the quarter-finals.
"Certainly we wish them all the best, everyone at the club is behind them and we hope it goes our way on Sunday.”
Quizzed on whether he’s been able to see much of the Tractor Girls or men’s U18s and U23s teams in what’s been a frantic period since he took charge, he said: "It’s hard to get to see them too much in terms of the matches because we’re travelling and going to our own matches and we’re often training and working when they play.
"But in terms of the training ground, it’s lovely here, everyone’s in close vicinity, there are shared facilities and shared sites.
"Whether that’s with the 23s and their staff and the 18s men’s teams or with the ladies’ teams, everyone’s very close here, everyone’s working from the same site and communicating, trying to develop their own teams but also share any information or any insight that they can that will help the other teams as well.
"Everyone’s pulling in the same direction and it’s been nice to get initial involvement with those teams, but certainly over the course of time going forward in the summer, it would be nice to spend a little bit more time with them and get to see a more of their matches more at close hand.
"And it’s very important that the whole club is working off the same hymn sheet and pulling in the same direction and working off the ethos and vision.
"I think that starts with the teams on the pitch, whether that’s the men’s team, the academy teams or the women’s team, we all have a very close link that we share and enjoy and we want to grow that link.”
Tickets for Sunday's game are available here.