21st January 2020
Downend Flyers 2
CTLFC Reserves 6
Goalscorers:
Downend: Bean, Avent,
Cheltenham: Griffiths x2, Donnelly, Marron, Galpin, Wadey.
Report provided by Ben Ware
The first encounter of the season between the Robinesses and Downend Flyers finished with Cheltenham taking all 3 points on the road in Bristol.
The scoring was opened early by Sophie Griffiths, who slotted in at the far post after a great ball from Anna Symanowski, who beat 3 players before providing the superb assist.
Debutante Becky Donnelly scored early on too as she dispossessed and rounded the keeper after she was unable to keep hold of Hannah Marshall’s zipped shot.
Stand-in goalkeeper Alyta Norman got an assist to her name as she kicked long over Downend’s high defence and found Caitlin Marron, who controlled the ball and lobbed the goalkeeper beautifully.
The next came from Hannah Galpin, her sixth in six games as the ball fell to her on the edge of the box and she smashed home through a crowded penalty area.
Half Time: Downend 0-4 CTLFC
Downend began to grow into the game in the second half, creating good chances and testing the visitor’s resolve, but it was the Robinesses who would assert their dominance after weathering the storm, allowing Sophie Griffiths to hit the net once again from a Jess Wadey assist.
It wasn’t long before Wadey would respond in kind, grabbing a goal of her own own, heading in a well placed Marron corner.
The second half also saw the debut of Leah Rhodes who was brought on upfront.
Cheltenham were forced into a change at the other end of the pitch as stand-in goalkeeper Norman was forced off through injury, giving goalscorer and goal provider Caitlin Marron the chance to go on goal for the second time this season.
After this, Downend managed to grab two for themselves, one going over Marron who had misjudged the trajectory of the ball and a second through a well worked passage of play which was finished with a fine volleyed shot at the far post.
This late resurgence wasn’t enough though as Cheltenham kept the gap in the scoreline established, and finished the game as victors.
Reaction
“It’s an odd one, obviously it’s great to rock up to someone’s home ground and put six past them but we never really got going today. We were without three key players and just didn’t reach the standards we aspire to. It was an unkind pitch surface and a tough game against a team who sat back and were happy to defend and we did well to get the win against what can be a difficult side. Bottom of the table of not, you still have to play well against them.
“The two new girls were brilliant, it was great for Becky [Donnelly] to get a goal, she was integral in how we played and seemed to slot in perfectly and Leah [Rhodes] played beyond her years showing she won’t be pushed around and both of them gave us difficult decisions for selection as we move forward and both deserve to play again.
“Next week is an important game, we put on one of our worst performances away to them and have a point to prove, two first team players dropped down to play for us in that game as we were low of numbers but those players, they’re both gone now and our regular Reserve team players are eager to prove themselves, so hopefully we can get a result to set things straight.
“Cam set the target of 18 points between the new year and the end of the season, we’re a third of the way there and believe we can do it”
