Yahoo Sports Gas Girls 'up for challenge' against Villa in FA Cup
Bristol Rovers are "up for the challenge" after being drawn against Women's Super League side Aston Villa in the Women's FA Cup, says defender Layah Douglas.
The Gas Girls came from 2-1 down to beat Oxford United 3-2 on Sunday and reach the fourth round for the first time.
Rovers play in the National League Division One South West - the fourth tier of English women's football.
"I was saying to one of our team-mates only a few seasons ago we were literally playing in parks and now we're in the fourth round of the FA Cup against a WSL team - it just feels surreal," Douglas told BBC Radio Bristol.
"As a squad we're all up for the challenge."
Rovers' women's side relaunched five years ago after the club being without one since 2005.
Their promotion last spring was their third in four seasons and in April they were brought under the financial remit of the men's team. They have been playing their home games at the Memorial Ground this season.
Douglas praised manager Nathan Hallett-Young, as well as the wider staff at the club, for helping them grow so rapidly.
"With the amount of effort that goes into it behind the scenes with the coaching staff and the players I'm not surprised we've got this far," she said.
The tie against Villa - currently seventh in the WSL compared with Rovers who are fifth in the fourth tier - will take place on Sunday, 12 January at Poundland Bescot Stadium.
"It's going to be a ridiculously tough game but I think we're all buzzing - we're all up for it. The magic of the FA Cup - it's a one-off game so we've just got to see what we can get out of it," Douglas said.
"We've just got to treat it as any other game. It's a massive occasion but at the end of the day we're there to play and we've just got to remember that going into it."
