This week Blackpool FC Ladies travel to take on Chorley Women FC. The Seasiders Head Coach Rob Plant feels that his side's preparation for their upcoming fixtures has been excellent.

"The preparation for our game this weekend against Chorley has been excellent. We had a free week last week which has given extra rest time for players with injuries. The ladies are pretty much all prepared from now until the end of the season. Apart from a couple of little niggles, our squad is back to full strength. We had Molly Kelly and Keisha Masterson out with long term issues, however both have returned and seem to have phased in nicely. Since Matt (our Strength & Conditioning coach) joined a couple of seasons ago, we have looked fitter and stronger than every team we've faced."

With Blackpool unbeaten in their last seven fixtures, Rob Plant explains how pleased he is to see development players step up and earn their place in the squad.

"We have had some impact players leave but in all honesty it has been very pleasing to see the development players come in, perform, and then earn their places in the team. I have always tried to instil the same playing ethos across all adult levels, so essentially whoever plays with whichever team they all know how we play, our core values and patterns of play."

Later this month, Blackpool face Bury FC Foundation Women in the final of the Lancashire FA Women's Challenge Cup. The Seasiders gaffer wants to see the same attitude his team has displayed since Christmas.

"We had a ‘line in the sand’ moment just after Christmas where we set out our expectations, as they weren’t being met by the players. Since then it’s made me really proud to see our players develop, even in that short amount of time. Their attitude has been absolutely top drawer which is a credit to the girls. We have made it clear that all the success we are having is down to that shift in attitude, as we knew the talent was always there. If we take that in to our final against Bury we will be more than fine."

Plant went on to highlight the importance of the entire team playing a part in their recent success, with the Seasiders finding themselves second in the league table, as well as the Semi Final and Final of the two cup competitions.

"Every single player has played a vital part at some point throughout the season. The defensive six have been brilliant recently. From that base it allows players like April Oldfield, Chloe Howarth and Lily Hambly to concentrate on what they do, which is creating attacking opportunities. The midfield have such a good balance and all know how to play with one another, so things are really positive at the moment. We keep saying to the ladies that the next match is the most important of our season no matter who we are against, as we need to keep the run going."