31st October 2016
Cheltenham Town Ladies, finally took three points this season, after a thoroughly dominant home win against St Nicholas.
Starting the same team that played so well against West Ham last week, Cheltenham began the front foot, and playing their passing game very effectively. It came as a huge surprise when the visitors took the lead. Some indecisiveness at the back, resulted in an attempted clearance that looped towards the Cheltenham goal. Keeper, Bec Panniers kept the ball out, only for it to be scrambled in. St Nicholas had somehow taken the lead.
The game continued in the same vain with Cheltenham pressing the ball, passing well, and on 33 minutes, the ball dropped on the edge of the box, and Ella Hitchcox, scored with a fantastic left foot strike.
Half time 1-1.
Cheltenham took hold of the game at the start of the 2nd half, and dominated for long periods of play, and probably should have been two or three clear goals, before eventually scoring. A cross from Louise Bull, was met with a flying volley from Sophie Wyatt (pictured), at last Cheltenham were in front. Again, the home team went looking to finish the game off, but good saves from the St Nicholas keeper kept them out. There was an anxious last five minutes but Cheltenham hung on to claim their first win of the season.
Manager, Graham Fletcher after the game was delighted. “I thought we played well today and deserved our victory, and the girls were terrific today. We started as we finished last week, pressed them really well, passed it like I know we can, and we’re determined to win the game. The whole squad deserves the congratulations, particularly my 1st team coach, Sarah Haden, who has worked so hard to make this happen, so the win was for her today.”
Team; Panniers,Knuckey, Brown-Wealls (c), Leask, Purvis, Fensome, Bull, Wyatt, Salleh, Hitchcox, Martin. Subs: Wiltshire (for Salleh) Herbert, Amarquauye, Markovic
