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An interview with…

Yasmin Ahmed  (Cheadle Town Stingers)

Cheadle Town Stingers have taken Division One North in the FA Women’s National League by

storm this season and on Sunday, they took over at the top of the table with a 2-0 win against

AFC Fylde Women.

Yasmin Ahmed has captained the team into top spot in their first season in the league after having

won the North West Women’s League title at the end of the last campaign. Whilst admitting that there

is a long way to go yet, she insisted that there is no reason why they cannot stay up amongst the

leading sides and maintain what, at the start of the season, had looked to be an unlikely title challenge:

WSS: Well done on another good win on Sunday, how pleased were you with the way the team

played?

YA: Thank you! We’re all really pleased with the performance, and another clean sheet!

WSS: How big a boost was the early goal?

YA: The early goal was massive for us. I think it settled any nerves we had, and allowed us to control the

first half.

WSS: Were you always confident that you would go on to win the game, before the second goal

confirmed it late on?

YA: We’ll always back ourselves to get a result so I was confident we’d go on to win the game. 1-0 is such a dangerous scoreline so it was definitely uneasy towards the end, but that second goal was important and instant relief.

WSS: The win against Fylde puts you on top of the table, with Leeds and Middlesbrough just below you. Are you exceeding your expectations at the start of the season or did you always think that you could do well?

YA: I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d see ‘Cheadle Town’ at the top of the National League table, it’s crazy. Realistically, you aim to stay up in your debut season, but we set our bar high at the beginning and believed we could aim for mid-table. We’ve been brilliant so far and I think deservedly we’re at the top end of the table!

WSS: This Sunday, it's over to the FA Cup and the boot will be on the other foot as you take on FC St Helens, who had a great win against Doncaster Rovers Belles in the last round. Is a good run in the cup one of the club's priorities for the season?

YA: Full credit to St Helens, they’ve done brilliantly. The FA Cup is iconic and is so important for clubs with less financial resources. We’ve had some good cup runs in the last couple years, but we’d love to go one round further than we’ve done before and make club history by doing so.

WSS: Jessica Gillin and Imogen Porteous-Williams are both having very good seasons in front of goal, does that give the team an extra boost knowing the goal threat that they possess?

YA: They have both been absolutely class so far this season. Jess has been a fantastic signing, and Immy has shown her quality at this level. The team is always confident we can score with these two on the pitch, but also the hard yards they both do going forward and tracking back every game is unmatched.

WSS: Is there anyone in the team who is having a good season for you, but not quite getting the recognition that she deserves?

YA: Everyone has contributed to our success so far, but if I had to pick one I’d say Issy Dean. She has been an unreal signing for us, last ditch tackles and even goals now! There’s not been anything she hasn’t been able to deal with.

WSS: As well as the results, what has it been like overall to play in the National League this season after winning promotion?

YA: It’s been a great challenge! We always knew it was going to be tough, but it’s exciting to play all these big name clubs and competing with them. The quality of football is so high, and we’re learning and improving each week because of it.

WSS: Do you think you can stay in amongst the leading sides as the season goes on, or are you not putting too much pressure on yourselves?

YA: Why not! We’ve put ourselves in a great position. The pressure is always on, and I’ve no doubts that this team can go on to do something special! There’s a long way to go though, so we just take each game as it comes, but if we can continue into the second half of the season like we’ve just done the first then I really think we’ll be up there at the top.

Our thanks to Yasmin!  

Photo by LEWIS TATE PHOTOGRAPHY