HASHTAG United’s in-form women’s team start their FA Cup adventure on Sunday afternoon as they take on divisional rivals Enfield Town at Park Lane in a third round qualifier.

And the Tags can be optimistic about their hopes of exacting revenge on their 2020/21 conquerors, not least after winning September’s corresponding league clash via a comfortable 4-0 scoreline.

The victory was one of nine in their opening 10 matches of the season, a run which sees them top of the FAWNL Division One South East table and through to the next round of the FAWNL Cup while Jason Stephens’ high-flyers have netted an impressive 43 goals during that period.

Hashtag skipper Grace Gillard, who scored a stunning 30-yarder in the league triumph and has played for the club (including its previous monikers) since 2018, says that this is the best group of players she has been involved with, explaining: “As a team we seem to have clicked both on and off the pitch. So, to be a part of this team is an environment like none I have been in before.

“I think what’s been so good is we have had some fantastic performances in these 10 games and we seem to just be getting stronger and stronger. We are scoring for fun and the goals are spread across the girls so everyone is playing with confidence right now.”

While the team’s scoring antics have rightly grabbed the headlines, Gillard and co. have also registered an impressive six clean sheets this term as they continue to build a reputation for boasting one of the tightest defences in the fourth tier.

It is something Gillard is particularly pleased about, stating: “One of our biggest weaknesses in previous years has been conceding too many goals - to have tidied that up is only adding to our strength as a team.

“As a defender, a clean sheet is like a goal to me. So, if we count them my stats aren’t doing too bad!

She also believes that the convincing league win provides an added source of confidence but is adamant that they won’t take anything for granted, particularly after last year’s disappointment in a game that the Tags could have sewn up long before goals from Beau Parker and Courtney Cook - who have both since left Enfield - condemned the Essex side to an early exit.

Gillard feels that the team has learnt from that loss, which is incredibly their last competitive defeat, but says her team are more concerned about progressing rather than making amends for last year’s failure.

With teams from tier three not entering the competition until the following round, Sunday’s clash has served up one of the toughest opponents that the Tags could have faced at this stage.

However, the ball-playing central defender feels that having a solid test may actually benefit the team as they look to maintain the performance levels that have seen them start the season in such scintillating fashion.

The 24-year-old says: “Playing a good team like Enfield will help us keep the tempo we need before we play our last few league games before Christmas.

“A cup run is always good fun, as is winning. We are doing that a lot in the league and we want that to continue week in week out regardless of the competition. But they don’t say ‘the magic of the FA Cup’ for nothing. Hopefully we have some magical moments to come!”

After seeing their maiden campaign since being taken under the wing of Spencer Owen’s one-of-a-kind outfit cut short due to the pandemic, earning promotion to the third tier will be the club’s main objective for the campaign. Still, the Tags faithful will be dreaming about the prospect of meeting the big guns later in the competition - a win here would keep that dream alive.

Fans can watch the Women’s FA Cup clash at Canvey Island’s Park Lane on Sunday at 2 pm with tickets priced £5 (£3/£1 concessions).