Cleeve look set to take a step back
» BOSS Chris Gough has been delighted with the performance of his young Bishop’s Cleeve Ladies side so far this season, but admits that they will need to take a step back next term for the good of the club, writes KEITH WATSON.
Playing in Division One of the Gloucestershire County Women’s League for the first time this season, Cleeve are currently level on points with third-placed Longwell Green with four matches of their campaign to go.
However, the Mitres are set to lose more than half-a-dozen players for 2022/23, something which is clearly shaping the manager’s thinking.
“The majority of the players are 17 or 18, and next season seven of them will be off to university,” revealed Gough. “We won’t be able to compete in Division One, so the plan is to drop back down to Division Three.”
Cleeve’s reserves entered Division Three at the start of the campaign, but have had to withdraw after injuries, Covid and other unavailability meant they fulfilled just two competitive fixtures prior to Christmas. However, the club will be reliant on many of this season’s reserve players for the next campaign.
Gough added: “For the rest of this season, I want to play the second-teamers, those girls who haven’t had much football because of all the postponements with the reserves.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if we didn’t win any of our remaining games, but those results won’t matter. If I don’t get these girls involved then they could leave and we might not have a team at all.”
That Cleeve’s young first team will break up this summer appears unfortunate after more than holding their own in Division One.
Gough said: “We’ve tended to lose to the teams above us and beat the teams below us. We’re certainly the team to watch for goals.
“We played really well at Longwell Green in
December (4-4 draw). It was a fantastic performance, but they equalised with the last kick.
“Then the next week we played Bristol & West on a bad pitch without a proper goalkeeper and lost 7-1. That’s us in a nutshell, when we go, we go completely. Fortunately I missed that one!”
At the weekend, Cleeve won 3-1 away to Abbeymead thanks to first-half goals from Imogen O’brien, Leonie Gough and Lauren Cable.
The manager added: “We scored three quick goals and were playing well, but in the second half Abbeymead pummelled us. They scored direct from a corner and could have taken a point.”
Elsewhere in Division One, the games between Longlevens and Gloucester City, and Bristol & West and Olveston were postponed, as were the Division Two matches involving City of Gloucester and Cirencester, and Red Falcon and Ellwood.
The Division Two clash between Tuffley and Cheltenham Civil Service did go ahead, but was goalless when it was abandoned after 20 minutes following an injury to the Civvy goalkeeper.
Two matches were played in Division Three, with Winchcombe beating Tewkesbury 4-0 in their derby clash. Laura Andrews and Hannah Quinlan struck in the first half before Anna Howes added a brace after the break.
Meanwhile, Kingswood, who took a six-point hit when Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves’ results were expunged, were 4-1 winners at Mitcheldean.
Forest Green’s South West Premier clash at Bishops Lydeard was postponed, and Cheltenham Town did not have a game scheduled, while the Robins’ development side remain bottom of the South West Northern Division after drawing 0-0 with visiting Downend Flyers.
This weekend’s major fixtures include Forest Green versus Royal Wootton Bassett, Gloucester City against Bristol & West, and Dursley at home to Cirencester.