24th October 2020
The Robinesses return to FA Women’s National League Division One South-West action tomorrow (2pm) as they make the trip to Dorset to face bottom of the league Poole Town Ladies.
Cheltenham enter the game off the back of a confidence-boosting 3-0 victory over local rivals Brislington Ladies in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. A lofty Billie Haynes’ finish from a wide angle, a low drive from Alice Kempski and what is turning into a trademark free-kick from Charlotte Criddle sealing the deal for the home side.
However, manager Tom Davies wants to make sure his team doesn’t switch off after picking up the win, acknowledging that Poole could be a banana skin for his side if taken lightly.
Commenting on the Dolphins after the Brislington game, Davies said “It’s a different game, and it’s a big pitch, a 3G pitch as well so it’ll be a big game. From when we played them the first game to when we played them midseason last year, they had a massive upturn, and they were playing a lot better and looked a lot more comfortable. I expect them to be a good footballing side and I expect them to work hard. We have to adapt to each game and make sure we put our best performance in.”
Team News
Cheltenham’s absentees include Laurn Ellis, who is unavailable for a couple of weeks. Sarah King is also expected to miss out, having not trained during the week, possibly from a knock picked up against Brislington.
Jade Grove is expected to retain her place despite being substituted last week with Davies confirming that she didn’t pick up an injury in the FA Cup game.
Cerys Dolloway returned to training on Tuesday evening following a knock that kept her out of contention for the past few weeks. However with Davies looking to take a smaller squad to Dorset, it’s unclear if she’ll have had enough time to stake a claim for a place.
Opposition
The Dorset club have had a rough start to 2020/21, and find themselves bottom of the league and still searching for a win as they’ve been drawn against some of the league’s highest scoring clubs in the early stages, with recent defeats coming against Exeter and Buckland.
The opening day saw them play host to last season’s dominators, Southampton FC, and come out on the losing end of a 5-1 scoreline. Tiara Cheney putting Poole on the scoreboard despite the heavy defeat.
Their last outing in the league saw them receive a thorough beating at the hands of Southampton Women, 7-0, with a spell in the second half seeing three goals go in the space of six minutes on the 57th, 62nd and 63rd. Last weekend the Dolphins made the trip to Ilminster Ladies for the Second Qualifying Round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, but were eliminated 4-1.
Previous Meetings
The Dolphins faced Cheltenham three times in 2019/20. The teams met on the opening day, at The Big Local Stadium, with Cheltenham dominating the game but only able to come away with a 2-0 victory. A debut goal for Mai Butler and a fantastic strike from outside the box by Abby Bevan picking up the points for the home side.
A couple of months later the teams would square off again, this time in the FA Women’s National League Plate, with Cheltenham putting on a show with seven goals, as a Kerry Bartlett brace, an Annie Martin brace and single strikes from Sally Butterfield, Abby Bevan and Georgia Brown handed Cheltenham a place in the second round.
The final clash of last season came in January, immediately after the winter break, with Cheltenham travelling to Dorset and securing a treble over the Dolphins.
Abby Bevan continuing her form against Poole by scoring on the 6th minute, while Georgia Brown converted from the penalty spot.
After a much improved Poole performance in the second half, Faye Hawkins would dribble past a couple of Cheltenham defenders and pull one back from a tight angle, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a point, with The Robinesses coming out on top with a 2-1 win.
Directions and Entry Prices
Specsavers Dorset FA County Ground
Blanford Close,
Poole,
BH15 4BF
Entrance fee is by donation and the money will be donated to help feed children who need it most in the Poole area.
Supporters are advised that the venues track-and-trace protocols must be completed before entry and those in attendance must follow the ground’s one-way system. Food and drink will also not be available for this game.
Match Coverage
For real-time match coverage, follow our twitter page, @CTLadies. You can also check the club’s Facebook and Instagram for half time and full time scores.
