10th October 2020
Seventh host eight in the FA Women’s National League Division One SW, as Cheltenham welcome The Magpies to the Big Local Stadium.
Cheltenham come into this fixture off the back of a 3-3 draw with Larkhall Athletic, which saw Charlotte Criddle score a second free-kick in as many games, while Jade Grove establishing herself as The Robinesses’ top scorer by bagging a brace.
Manager, Tom Davies played down the importance of league positions early in the campaign.
“Seventh versus eighth is not something that’s really too important to us, definitely. It might be important to other people, but especially early on in the season we’re not really looking at the season.
“It’s a big game, every game is a big game and we’ll approach that in the same way. We want three points, so we’ll work hard to make sure that happens.
“I expect Maidenehad to be really fit. I know they had a lot of pre-season games and worked really hard and they were like that last season and they made it really difficult. We really had to grind out that 3-1 result, so I expect them to be still the same. I expect them to work really hard and push us and we have to match that and work as hard as they do”
Team News
Cheltenham are expected to field as near to a full strength squad as possible, as Manager Tom Davies looks to return to winning ways.
Centre-half Cerys Dolloway will not return to fitness in time, while midfielders Billie Haynes and Courtney Jones are not available. This will likely see Lauren Kayll retain her starting position.
Centre-back Sam Morris may also miss out after picking up an injury in the first half of Cheltenham’s trip to Larkhall.
Opposition
With a 2-2 draw on the opening day against Larkhall, followed by a 3-2 defeat to local rivals Chesham, Maidenhead find themselves sitting just below Cheltenham in the FA Women’s National League Division One SW.
The Magpies come into this fixture fresh after a weekend without a fixture. Their previously scheduled match, at home to Swindon Town, was postponed due to the adverse weather conditions that caused issues for many clubs.
Previous Meetings
The Magpies were one of a few teams that Cheltenham faced twice in the 19/20 campaign due to the season ending early because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two teams met in September 2019 at The Big Local Stadium, with a semi-rotated Cheltenham squad coming away with a 3-2 win in front of 89 supporters.
The return fixture saw Cheltenham do the double over their opponents at Chalfont St. Peter’s FC’s Mill Meadow stadium, 3-1.
In the 2018/19 campaign, the teams met at The Big Local Stadium in late August, running out a 5-1 win. In January 2019 the teams would return after the winter break to face off at the Perpetual Triangle Ground in Henley Town with Cheltenham coming away with three points with a 3-0 victory.
Directions and Entry Prices
Entrance to The Big Local Stadium is £3 per adult, or £5 for two. Children, Cheltenham Town FC season ticket holders and Robins Trust members receive free entry. However, under the current circumstances, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
The club’s QR Code must be scanned upon entry. Those who are unable to scan must provide contact details.
Match programmes are not available, as they post a handling risk, however they are available for free from the club website, here.
Location: The Big Local Stadium, off St. Peter’s Close, GL51 9DX. (Find it on Google maps here)
By car:
Turn off Tewkesbury Road onto Moors Avenue and take the first left, onto St. Peter’s Close. On St. Peter’s Close, keep left and go around the outside of the housing estate. Follow the road round and the car park and entrance to the ground are directly in front of you.
By bus:
The C, 41 and 42 buses from Cheltenham town centre all stop at The Range, or The Moors, opposite the Lexus dealership on Tewkesbury Road, both of which are a short walk from the stadium.
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.
