A derby between the London Bees and Millwall Lionesses in the third round of the SSE Women’s FA Cup is too close to call.

That's the verdict of Aston Villa captain Beth Merrick who was in Birmingham to see the draw being made.

After playing both sides in the FA Women’s Super League 2 last season, she cannot pick a victor.

And with the sides finishing seventh and eighth in the division, Bees just getting the better of their London rivals, it is easy to see why Merrick doesn’t know where to put her money.

“London Bees versus Millwall Lionesses is massive,” said the 21-year-old.

“For me, London Bees would be an underdog to get promoted this season, they’re making steps every year to improve.

“They’ve made the league a lot more competitive. Going to London Bees is never an easy game any more and you’ve got to be careful because they’re a potential banana skin.”

But with Bees exiting the SSE Women’s FA Cup at the third round stage last season, while the Lionesses made it two rounds further before being knocked out by Reading, Merrick knows a well-organised Millwall side are always a force to be reckoned with.

“Millwall are always a team where you know what you’re going to get from them, you know they’re aggressive, you know they’re powerful, you’ve just got to match it and work harder on the day.

“We ran out winners once and drew away with them last season, but you know the game is never really over with them - so I don’t know which way to call it.”

But whatever the result, with last season seeing Arsenal win the cup for a 14th time, extending their own record, the Villa captain is hoping that this year can see an unheralded side break the FA WSL1 monopoly on the trophy.

“Everybody knows that in the FA Cup it will end up being the usual suspects, but there’s got to be one year for a team to spring a surprise, like Leicester did with the Premier League,” she concluded.

“For me it’s got to be a lower-league side that push it and need to get there.

“It would be great for our league, for an underdog to show that it’s not all about Super League 1, that Super League 2 are here, and we are ready to compete with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal.”

Tickets are now on sale for the SSE Women’s FA Cup Final on May 13 at Wembley Stadium connected by EE. For the second consecutive year, kids go free to the final, tickets can be purchased here: ticketing.thefa.com