7th September 2019
Three games in close succession sees Cheltenham travel down to Bath to take on 5th placed Larkhall Athletic Women in the FA Women’s National League, in what is set to be another good challenge for the Robins.
Alex Cheal believes that his team won’t be disrupted by rotation and insists they cannot let recent success go to their heads
“With Annie and Ella making their returns, it doesn’t really change much in terms of our rotation. We have a set plan that we will stick to so that we maximise game time with a bigger aim of winning three games in a week.
“The squad Sunday will be similar to tonight, with Charlotte [Criddle] being available and Georgia [Brown] not, so we rotate internally once more and aim to get three points. The squad are buzzing at the moment but we must stay grounded and aim to get positive results against whoever happens to be in front of us.”
Team News
Goalkeeper Bec Panniers didn’t train during the week due to her ongoing back issues, so Alyta Norman keeps her place in the side.
Last season’s Manager’s Player of the Year, Becky Wilkins returns to the matchday squad after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury.
Georgia Brown is absent in midfield, replaced by Charlotte Criddle who has made an impact coming off the bench in previous matches.
Annie Martin and Ella Hitchcox maintain their places in Cheal’s matchday squad.
Opposition
Larkhall have seen themselves develop a steady start to the season, with one loss (3-0 to Exeter) and two wins, 6-0 over Maidenhead and 4-2 over Swindon Town Women on Thursday night.
The Bath-based side have also been fairly active in recruitment for this season, with former Cheltenham Town Ladies faces, Ellie Briscoe, Rhian Robbins and Maddy Brown, who spent most of pre-season with the Robins, joining the squad ahead of the campaign.
Previous Meetings
Cheltenham’s Women’s National League battles with Larkhall go back to 2014/15. The first meeting at Level 4 between the two teams saw Cheltenham waltz to a 2-1 win, late goals on the 77th and 82nd minutes from Katie Walker and Adele Brown getting the job done for the visitors.
The return fixture saw both teams come to a stalemate, 0-0.
The following season saw a struggling Cheltenham outplayed on both occassions, falling 4-0 at home and 4-1 on the road. Rhona Donaldson with Cheltenham’s only goals against the Bath side.
The teams faced off three times in 2016/17, again with Larkhall taking all three wins. An Ella Hitchcox goal was the only saving grace as Cheltenham lost 3-1 at home in late September, before a much-changed Robins side took to the field in the cup only a few weeks later , losing 9-1 . In May 2017 the sides clashed again, with the home side overcoming a Sally Butterfield brace to pick up with a 3-2 win.
The following season, in October 2017, the two teams produce a thriller, with Larkhall coming out on top. Sam Morris, Kayleigh Hateley and an Ella Hitchcox brace cancelled out by five from Larkhall. They met again in November, with Cheltenham grinding out a 1-0 victory with Holly Rogers netting the winner.
Last season the teams didn’t meet until after the Christmas break. Annie Martin and Annabel Davies hitting the target as Cheltenham ran away with the three points at home, 2-0. The final day of the season at Plain Ham saw the teams battle away, only to etch out a 1-1 draw, Annie Martin’s goal for Cheltenham cancelled out by Amanda Blakely.
Address and Entrance Price
Larkhall Athletic FC
Plain Ham
Charlcombe Lane
Bath
Bath and North East Somerset
BA1 8DJ
£3 entry.
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.
