REIGNING champions Bradford City Women will reunite with several familiar faces after drawing Guiseley Vixens in the semi-finals of the County Cup.

Guiseley currently sit top of the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division One, having dropped just two points all season.

And with four of their pre-season signings having been on City’s books last season, the rivalry will have another layer to it for this last four clash.

“It’s always a feisty game with them being local rivals and it certainly adds to the excitement when they have many of our former players,” said City player-manager Charlotte Stuart. “They are a good team and it will be a good contest.”

Former ties are common in County Cup clashes, but Guiseley’s ex-City quartet were not just spare parts in claret and amber last season.

Making 94 appearances between them in 2015/16 – scoring 30 goals – the summer departures of Sarah Danby, Chantelle O’Hara, Alarna Fuller and Olivia Thackray mean this current City side has a very different look to last year’s.

But that has not proved to be a bad thing. Combined with the departure of manager Steve Winterburn after 10 years, the changes have been a breath of fresh air for City, who currently sit third in the division above the Vixens.

With Stuart and her team knowing plenty about the opposition, they will look to use that to their advantage to progress to the final.

“The key to success is good preparation. We will be focusing on what we need to do to progress,” Stuart said.

“Cup games are always exciting as anything can happen. But we certainly won’t be handing our title over without a fight.”

The tie will be played on Wednesday, April 12, with the winner to face either Brighouse Town or Farsley Celtic in the final.