Ladies face Millwall in FA Cup opener

Arsenal Ladies will face Millwall Lionesses at The Den in the fifth round of the FA Women’s Cup.

The tie will be played on Sunday, March 22 as the Gunners look to retain their trophy after last season’s triumph when Kelly Smith and Yukari Kinga scored as Arsenal beat Everton 2-0.

This year’s women’s final will be staged at Wembley Stadium for the first time in the competition’s history, on Saturday, August 1 and will be shown live on BBC One.

Tickets for the final will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday, March 10 and early bird tickets, available until May 5, are priced £10 for adults and £3 for children. An early bird family ticket for two adults and two children is £25.

Four-time FA Women’s Cup winner Kelly Smith said: “As a player you dream of playing in an FA Cup final at Wembley and now we have the chance to do that, which is amazing.

“It will be even more of an incentive for clubs and players to progress in the competition and reach the final. Hopefully it will be another fantastic showcase for women’s football and help to grow the game even more.”