Man Utd book first Wembley trip - but 'not won anything' yet

After winning their mode to a archetypal Women's FA Cup final, Manchester United's treble dreams are inactive alive. Yet they could inactive decorativeness this singular play with nothing.

Just 5 years aft being founded successful the 2nd tier Championship, United are heading to Wembley for the archetypal clip and are presently apical of the Women's Super League successful a singular four-team rubric race.

They could triumph it each - oregon decorativeness 4th successful the WSL for a 4th successive year, miss retired of European qualification, and beryllium denied successful the FA Cup last connected 14 May by Aston Villa oregon Chelsea.

Skinner's connection aft the crippled was wide - bash not beryllium reasoning astir Wembley, but astir Wednesday, erstwhile United big WSL rubric rivals Arsenal successful a hugely important encounter.

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"I don't privation them to miss the accidental to consciousness the game, but we haven't won anything," helium said. "So, get connected to your concern - you tin consciousness it, but astatine crippled clip don't fto it distract you.

"That's the hardest balance, staying focused for a immense situation connected Wednesday and each the others earlier Wembley."

Based connected this game, United are susceptible of some winning everything oregon nothing. They were good disconnected the gait successful the archetypal fractional of their archetypal ever FA Cup semi-final, unsettled by Brighton's bold pressing and swift counter, and deserved to way erstwhile Mary Earps palmed a changeable into her ain net.

Certainly, the lapse successful antiaircraft attraction that aboriginal allowed Brighton's Danielle Carter to bargain successful and marque it 2-2 did not lucifer that of champions.

However, the Leah Galton equaliser seconds aft the interval, a satellite people prevention by Earps to extremity an Elisabeth Terland changeable over, and the calmness of Rachel Williams' victor were each examples of wherefore United basal connected the borderline of a historical achievement.

It was "the good, the atrocious and the disfigured from america today", Skinner said. "We conceded 2 goals we don't usually, and Brighton were good. It didn't marque it arsenic casual arsenic we wanted, but this squad showed again they triumph erstwhile it truly has to matter.

"At half-time we had words and agreed the vigor needs to beryllium better. When Brighton acceptable up for a goal-kick and we're walking backmost and letting them acceptable up, that's not bully enough. When it's their propulsion successful and we're walking, it's not bully enough.

"The words were from the players astatine half-time. It was a question of, was that us, was that our energy? And each the players successful unison said no. In the 2nd fractional they took responsibility."

They were roared connected by a assemblage of much than 4,000 astatine Leigh Sports Village, and Skinner said a triumph astatine Wembley was the slightest their supporters deserved.

A instrumentality to Wembley besides represents a accidental for idiosyncratic redemption. Skinner led Birmingham City to the 2017 FA Cup final, lone to spot them beaten 4-1 by Manchester City.

Having had his United declaration extended to 2024 implicit the planetary interruption aft winning 34 of his archetypal 54 matches successful charge, the 40-year-old has plentifulness of concern near to finish.

"It means a monolithic amount," helium said. "Our fans merit it, their dependable successful the 2nd fractional was insane. I've been determination [Wembley] before. We lost, I cognize however it feels. I'm driven to marque definite we don't repetition that.

"I honestly haven't watched that crippled [the 2017 final] back. It was a horrible moment. I've learned tons from that. I'm blessed with my maturation and development, and I'm arrogant of the squad today. Getting to the last is good, winning it would beryllium better."

Brighton manager Melissa Phillips, meanwhile, said she was "unbelievably proud" of her team. The WSL's bottommost broadside troubled the leaders throughout, but were yet undone by the antiaircraft frailties that person seen them vessel 50 goals successful 15 league matches.

The Seagulls person not beaten a top-flight broadside since November, erstwhile they overcame West Ham 5-4 successful the WSL, and were beaten 4-0 location and distant by United successful the league. However nether Phillips, their 4th manager of the season, determination is renewed hope.

"I could not beryllium much arrogant of the cognition the players showed contiguous and however they responded to antithetic moments successful the game," she said.

"We person to grip moments amended - they people close aft half-time, and erstwhile we person a subordinate down. But the cognition is what we wanted to situation ourselves successful and we did that today."