Top-three finish is aim for Cirencester’s joint-boss
CIRENCESTER Town Ladies jointmanager Dan Ray is targeting a topthree finish in Division Two of the Gloucestershire County Women’s League - but believes promotion this season would come too soon for his side.
The Centurions are one of five teams challenging at the top, but Ray suspects his players require more time to become equipped to compete at the next level.
“Our aim this season is to finish in the top three,” revealed Ray. “We hope we’re good enough to do that, but I think we’re not quite ready for Division One.
“The top five in Division Two are all good, and Division One looks very, very competitive, so we probably wouldn’t push to go up if it was offered to us.
“We tend to struggle when we play physical teams. We’re a young team and we like to get the ball down on the floor, but we lack the maturity for a real battle.”
Last weekend, Cirencester made it three wins from three without conceding a goal against sides in the bottom three as Cheltenham Civil Service were beaten 2-0.
Emily Wilson and Bec Brannan scored the goals, while Anna Margetts impressed as she stood in for regular goalkeeper Carla Heaton.
Ray added: “Civil Service were all over us to start with, but we picked up 25 minutes in, made changes for the second half and scored our goals. It needed a bit of a shake-up, but we managed to grind it out.”
The victory moved Cirencester up to second in the table with Bristol Rovers Development not in action, while Tuffley and Dursley played out an enthralling 2-2 draw.
The Gloucester side led at the break after Dursley’s Emma Allen miscued an attempted clearance into her own goal, but Morgan Tayler turned things around with a quickfire double.
Tuffley soon responded, with the unfortunate Allen again applying the final touch after Jodie Turl spilled Chloe Taylor’s corner.
Tuffley lead Division Two by a point from Cirencester and Bristol Rovers Development, with Dursley two points further back in fourth.
Ellwood drew 3-3 with Red Falcon as Sophie Drain, Hayley Layton and Sarah Ann Smith scored for the Forest of Dean side.
Elsewhere, Tewkesbury claimed their first-ever victory as they beat Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves 2-1 in Division Three.
Club founder Sonia Bielaszewska scored the winner 10 minutes from time after Jordan Burrows’ opener had been cancelled out by Cleeve’s Alana Willett.
Amy Lewis gave Kingswood a 1-0 victory over Olveston Reserves, while Mitcheldean lost 1-0 at Southmead, and Winchcombe were thumped 7-0 by Bristol Ladies Union Development.
Like Tewkesbury, Gloucester City also broke their duck in Division One with a 3-1 home triumph over Cotswold Rangers. Substitutes Ruby Bargett and Charley Reynolds netted the crucial goals after teammate Jade Powell’s opener had been cancelled out by Holly Armitage. Rangers boss Liam Bell subsequently resigned from his role.
Bishop’s Cleeve edged out Abbeymead 3-2 with Lauren Cable (2) and Leonie Gough striking for the home side, while Melissa Devereux and Bex Gillespie were on target for the visitors.
Olveston, who beat Bristol & West 2-1, and Pucklechurch, 2-0 victors over Longwell Green, are setting the standard at the top of the table.
Cheltenham Town progressed to the next round of the National League Plate with a 2-1 victory at London side Actonians. Jade Grove netted twice after Maria Ledezmaviso had opened the scoring.
Town’s development side, however, lost 3-1 at Oldland Abbotonians in the Northern Division of the South West League, Becky Donnelly with the Robins’ goal.
In the South West Premier, Forest Green were beaten 5-2 by leaders Ilminster despite goals from Sian Towler and Georgia Vandries.
Key clashes this weekend include Cheltenham’s FA Women’s Cup clash with Liskeard.