Kirby: Wembley was disappointing but there's so much to build on

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Midfielder was proud of her teammates despite defeat in Sunday's FA Cup final.

2026-06-02T06:00+01:00

Fran Kirby's expression says it all after she nearly created a first-half goal at Wembley. 📸 Paul Hazlewood

Despite a tough 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Albion forward Fran Kirby insists the club must use their historic first appearance at Wembley as a catalyst for future success.

While acknowledging the disappointment in the dressing room after Sunday’s result in our first appearance in the final, Kirby’s overriding emotion was immense pride in a squad that proved they belong on the biggest stage.

Albion went into the match as underdogs against the WSL champions. However, they dominated large spells of the opening half, bravely taking the game to a formidable Manchester City side only to concede two goals in the space of eight minutes which put City in control.

"I felt in the first half we played really well and dealt with the occasion," Kirby said. "It is tense, which is hard work when you’re out there, but I loved the way we conducted ourselves and took the game to them."

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Albion were beaten 4-0 by the league champions Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup Final on Sunday afternoon. An impressive of 43,917 fans were at the home of English football to watch the match. Club photographers Paul Hazlewood, Simon Roe and Kyle Hemsley were in the capital to capture all the action.

The turning point was City's ruthless efficiency in front of goal. Kirby candidly acknowledged that elite finishers like Bunny Shaw are what currently separate the two clubs. "That is the hardest part of the pitch to put the ball in the back of the net. To go to another level, we need to improve there," she said.

"It was a dejected changing room, but these girls have a dream to lift trophies," she added. "When they see friends and family, they will realise what an amazing achievement it is to get to a final. I am immensely proud of the team, the club, and the way we showed ourselves."

Kirby also reserved special praise for the Albion supporters, whose blue flags and relentless vocal support provided a stunning backdrop. "They were absolutely incredible. We heard them the whole game, and we are so glad they came on this journey with us."

Rather than letting the disappointment at Wembley define their season, Kirby views this FA Cup run - which included victories over three WSL opponents - as a massive statement of intent. The focus now shifts to capitalising on this momentum going into the new season.

"We need a little bit more experience in the squad - players who have been in these occasions and played against the top teams more often. But with things like the new stadium announcement we've put ourselves in a really good position for people to want to come and be a part of this team,” she added.