18th September 2018
“We are very happy where we are!” claims a buoyant Naomi Purvis following Cheltenham Town Ladies’ 2-1 victory over Southampton Saints, which saw them stay top of the FA Women’s National League…
The defender believes that opposition teams are now wary of her side following their scintillating start to the season, which has seen them pick up 13 points from their opening five matches.
Purvis was one of the stars as Cheltenham came back from a goal down to win 2-1 against the Saints in an excellent defensive second-half display.
Naomi was on the left side of a three-at-the-back formation that was being used by manager Alex Cheal and shone in her role.
First-half goals from Louise Fensome and Ella Hitchcox ensured that the Ladies stayed at the summit of the table despite an early scare.
When asked how she felt after the result, Purvis answered: “Yeah, I’m absolutely buzzing with that!
“Any win we’re happy with, at the end of the day – especially after last season. We’re battling and we have a very strong belief in ourselves.”
Purvis, although delighted with the result, thinks that the performance wasn’t their best and believes fatigue could have had something to do that.
“Yeah, I think so (asked whether Cheltenham deserved the win),” Purvis said. “I think after Thursday’s performance (a 2-0 away win over Swindon Town), we were all quite tired.
“We would have liked to have gotten more goals today; but at the end of the day, a win’s a win!”
Cheltenham’s improvement this season has been quite extraordinary so far, following a ninth placed finish last season – to topping the league five games in.
The vibe around the place at the moment is amazing and so refreshing to witness from an outsider’s perspective.
The good mood around the team is infectious around the DN Fire Stadium and this is having a huge impact on the player’s performances.
Sitting top of the league with an unbeaten record; it’s hard not to get excited and Purvis is no exception to this.
Bobby Vincent is a media student at the University of Gloucestershire and giving his time free of charge to covering Cheltenham Town Ladies.
