Page 14 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.22 2021-22

An interview with…..

Stacie Blackburn (Chesham United)

Chesham United have had a very good season to date in a
highly competitive FAWNL Division One South West and
Sunday’s 2-0 victory against Poole Town, their fourth in a
row, has taken them up to third place in the table.
Defender Stacie Blackburn has been one of the
mainstays for Chesham this season and she praised the
team for their recent form and said that the team’s aim is a
top three place and to try and win the County Cup, in which
they will play in the semi finals on Sunday:
WSS: Well done on your win on Sunday, was it a
case of having to stay patient before the opening
goal came?
SB: Thank you, yes we knew that Poole Town would be a
tough contest and that they would remain resilient until the end. We just kept playing our game
and we knew that if we did that, we would be successful. We had a lot of chances in the first half
which gave us the confidence to keep going, we just needed to ensure those chances were
converted in the second half.
WSS: That makes it four victories in a row and three successive clean sheets, how
high is the team's confidence right now?
SB: It is great for our team to be on this winning streak and have three clean sheets going into a
cup semi final. We haven't necessarily been as clinical as we would have hoped recently which
makes clean sheets even more crucial.
WSS: The win against Poole takes you back up to third place in the table, is the
team doing as well as anticipated or have you exceeded your expectations at the
start of the season?
SB: At the start of the season we had quite a few changes, both with players and coaches so it
took a little while for these players to find their feet and for us to gel as a team. A lot of these
players are young and so this is their first time competing at this level, each week we can see
them growing in confidence and gaining valuable experience. With this in mind, our
expectations were altered slightly. I think as a team, we are pleased with the progress we are
making and being up in third is something to definitely be positive about.
WSS: This week it's a break from the league as you play away to Abingdon United
in the semi finals of the Berks & Bucks Cup, what kind of match are you expecting
against them?
SB: We are expecting a hugely competitive game on Sunday. Abingdon are an experienced side
with lots of goal threats. They have just come off the back of a loss to Moneyfields, a team they
are battling with to win the Southern Region League, so they will be eager to reach a cup final
themselves. We have to ensure every single player turns up on Sunday and performs to the best
of their ability in order for us to be successful.
WSS: You last won the County Cup in 2017 (it has only been completed twice since)
so is that now a huge priority in your season?
SB: Everyone would like the opportunity to compete in a Cup Final so yes, it is a huge priority in
our season. Realistically, we are not going to win the league so this is certainly a great
opportunity for us to win a competition this season.
WSS: The likes of Gemma Fraser are always likely to hit the headlines with their
goals but as a defender, how much pride do you take from your recent record?
SB: Playing in a defensive position, you are always used to the strikers getting the headlines for
their goals but defenders have goals too and we take just as much pride keeping a clean sheet
along with the goalkeeper, as strikers do in their goal record. If we are able to keep a clean sheet
then we are helping our team to have a greater chance of winning a match and that our
contributions to the team are just as important as those scoring the goals.
Issue no. 22 - 17 February 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk