Captain Mary Southgate took the positives from Fulham Women’s unlucky 3-1 defeat to AFC Wimbledon.
The cup tie was watched by more than 3,000 fans at Craven Cottage, who were treated to a spirited performance from the Whites.
Maz said: “We knew it was going to be tough because they’re in the league above but I think we created a lot of chances.
“The crowd sounded like they enjoyed it which was something that was important to us. It’s a shame about the result but we know we gave it everything.”
After going two-nil down, Georgia Heasman’s goal before the break restored hope for Steve Jaye’s side.
Heasman said: “It wasn’t the best finish but you’ve got to take it as a forward!
“Ogie (Helen Ogle) put it on a plate for me and thankfully put it in just the right place and I was there.
“Looking over to the crowd and seeing them all cheering and jumping around is something I won’t forget any time soon.”
Lifelong Fulham fan Maz also enjoyed the fantastic support from the noisy home fans.
“They were loud all game and so supportive even when we were losing.
“Even just arriving here was overwhelming but so exciting. I hear the pre-match music when I’m here for men’s games so to hear it as I walked out was a special moment.
“One of our key aims for today was to build the women’s game even more and help people enjoy football and I think that’s what we’ve done.”
And Heasman says her teammates can gain inspiration from the day as they turn their focus back to league matters.
“I think we gave Wimbledon a good fight and on another day we might have taken our chances and won the game.
“I think we’ll be confident now going into the league and we’ll take that energy we got out of the crowd today.”
