DUNFERMLINE Athletic Ladies are eyeing up the possibility of clinching silverware after advancing to the last eight of a national competition.

The Pars, who defeated Huntly 4-1 in a friendly on Sunday, will tackle Linlithgow Rose next month in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Women's Football League (SWFL) Plate.

Charles Dignan's team, having got the better of Westdyke Thistle in the last 32 of the tournament, defeated East Fife Development 6-0 in the last round to set up a home tie with their fellow SWFL East League side on March 17.

The teams have met three times this season, all prior to Dignan's arrival as head coach in December, with Athletic having twice lost in September, in the league and SWFL Cup group stage, before winning the second clash in the latter competition in November.

"It's one game at a time, don't get me wrong, but we play every game to win," Dignan told Press Sport.

"When we look at the teams, why not? We look at that plate like that's something we can go and win, for sure.

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"That's what we're hoping - can you go and not, one, just do well in it, but can you go and win it? What that would then breed and manifest for the club and the players, and the belief, going forward, it would unlock so many possibilities for us.

"It would tell us that we're on the right path to great things."

He continued: "We're delighted to get into the quarter-finals. It was a really good performance.

"We were relentless in the first half and we were disciplined throughout the whole game, well organised, and what we've been working on is getting there every single week. I think last Sunday just proves yet another key milestone on the journey.

"The girls were right up for it and that shows in the result. We would've taken some beating on that day from anyone, I believe. We were really good."

This Sunday, Dunfermline return to league action - their first game in that competition under Dignan's charge - when they visit Murieston United.

"It's been a good first couple of months in the role," he added.

"Dunfermline is a team that's always had talent, it has got talent, and I'm sure it'll continue to have talent.

"We believe what we're putting in place, looking to the future, that Dunfermline will go on and achieve their full potential."