The Halfway Line spoke exclusively with Preston North End goalscorer Madison Hadley about her Adobe Women’s FA Cup journey.
Despite big names such as Vivianne Miedema entering the competition in its most recent round, it’s young tier five player Hadley who has racked up the most nettings thus far. Ahead of this weekend’s fifth round proper, the youngster sits level with Brentford’s Chloe Logie on 10 goals apiece.
Embodying the spirit of the FA Cup, Hadley helped lead her club to their inaugural first round tie, on their way beating Clitheroe Wolves 14-0, Maghull Youth 6-0, and Hartlepool Pools Youth 5-0 before Bradford City ended their run.
Hadley said of the accolade: “It means a lot. It’s a massive achievement for me, because when we’ve started the season, when you know you’re going to be in the FA Cup, in the qualifying rounds, I know I’m a striker, but it never really crosses your mind.”
She continued, “I’m constantly trying to find out who’s top goalscorer. If I’m still there, then it is a massive achievement.”
Photo by Steven Taylor
FA Cup run has ‘driven’ Preston’s season says Hadley
Hadley said her favourite FA Cup goal came against Maghull Youth. She described it as “The one where I chipped the keeper. I got the ball played through on goal, and there’s a one-on-one with the keeper. The keeper’s come out, and I’ve just lobbed it over. A nice, calm, collected finish. I think that was the game I scored five goals in as well, so I’d probably say that game.”
The attacker spoke about the build-up to Preston’s FA Cup clashes, and highlighted the pressures which come with making history. She detailed, “Leading up to the first proper round. It was massively talked about within the club.
“We were constantly being reminded in training ‘Don’t feel any pressure, but it’s a massive step for the club. It’s the first time we’ve ever been the first proper round. You’ve made history. Just go out and have fun, whatever the result is, you’ve made history’ but we didn’t get the result. I feel like the way we played, we proved to people why we should have been there.”
These endeavours have “Driven us for the season,” insisted Hadley, “We played the best football we’ve played, we can carry on doing this and get far in the other Cup that we’re now in a semi-final of. We’re now in a round of 16 of another cup. We’re now pushing to get highest in the league.”
‘In a cup, anything can happen’ urges Hadley
Reflecting on the experience as a whole, Hadley declared “When it’s an FA Cup game, you get them butterflies, you have them big crowds. In a Cup, anything can happen. Like, anything can happen, I can’t explain it.
“As a group, we were in the change rooms before our first FA Cup game, and we were all dead nervous, but dead excited to go out. But as soon as we’re out on the pitch, it’s like, focus time, and let’s put on a show and prove to people why we should be in the FA Cup, and let’s progress. And we did that.”
Hadley went on to tell The Halfway Line that playing in the FA Cup has helped her learn to trust herself out on the pitch. “I’ve scored 10 goals in the FA Cup. I know I can do it, so I need to stop thinking what other people are saying, and just focus on myself and score the goals,” she said.
The magic of the FA Cup returns this weekend, with the FA Women’s National League’s Rugby Borough and Wolverhampton Wanderers the only sides from below the second tier remaining in the competition.
