AT LONG last Brighouse Town Women have heard from the Women’s FA that they will indeed be playing their home Vitality 2nd round FA Cup tie with Newcastle United Women on Sunday, April 4 (1.00).

The tie should have been played on Sunday, January 3 but was postponed owing to the then latest covid-19 lockdown rules for non-elite sport.

Right now Town’s officials do not know if the Department of Culture, Media and Sport will allow a limited amount of spectators in to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium and other venues across the country for the ties, but work behind the scenes is going on in the hope they will allow the opening of the turnstiles.

Should Rob Mitchell’s team beat Newcastle they have been handed a third round draw away to Huddersfield Town the following Sunday, April 11 with a 2pm kick off.

In the meantime Mitchell has to continue to work at a distance with his squad to ensure they are at least fit. As their director of football Colin Tomkins said: “They are a dedicated squad and are chomping at the bit, and like ourselves Newcastle will have no match fitness as neither of us as played since December.”

Town player Amy Woodruff has qualified in the past week to become a firefighter.