Women’s football Tanya: We must make a fast start against Liverpool
BRISTOL City boss Tanya Oxtoby knows Sunday’s trip to Liverpool is a huge game for the Robins as they look to bank their first FA Women’s Super League victory of the campaign.
The Merseysiders lie bottom of the table having lost all three games so far, while City are just a point better off. Neither side has found the net in a league fixture yet this season, but that is something Oxtoby is hoping will change at Tranmere’s Prenton Park this weekend.
“A result is non-negotiable,” said Oxtoby. “You are probably looking at two teams who have been struggling a little bit in the league. If anything, it’s a six-point win for whoever gets it.
“We know we need to go into the game and start well – the way we started against Brighton and Chelsea was poor. We need to go out and assert ourselves and not be chasing the game.”
Oxtoby says she is not unduly concerned about City’s failure to score in their trio of league outings so far, but knows breaking their goals drought would be a boost for her side’s confidence.
“We have enough talent and firepower in this squad to cause problems, but it’s about making sure we put in a 90-minute performance mentally and physically – and we didn’t do that in our last game against Chelsea,” she added.
“I’ve said to our girls that if they want me to set them up as a defensive side, then I can do that. But I think they are better than that. They just need to take responsibility in front of goal.”
Portishead will be at home to Hampshire club Moneyfields in the third qualifying round of the Women’s FA Cup on October 27. The visitors have won back-to-back promotions and operate in the Premier Division of the Southern Women’s League.
The tie is Portishead’s reward for their 1-0 home win over Wootton Bassett Town last weekend. Portishead had to soak up plenty of pressure, but got the crucial goal just before the hour when Shannon Holloway pounced after Emily Lindsey’s attempt had come back off the crossbar.
Brislington’s hopes of a run in the competition were ended by Cheltenham Town for the second season in a row when they went down 5-0 away.
The Ironmould Lane side are still plagued by a threadbare squad due to unavailability, illness and injury – the latest victim Amber Coates, who scalded her foot after a bizarre mishap while poaching an egg.
Keynsham Town’s frustrating start in the Southern Premier Division of the FA Women’s National League continued as they were thumped 7-2 at home by Portsmouth.
But their Development side won 2-1 against Bishops Lydeard in the Premier Division of the SW Women’s League. Kiera Minell and Kirsty Smith scored their goals.
In the Northern Division, Saffron Degg scored all the goals for leaders Frampton Rangers as they saw off Weston Mendip 3-0.
Sophie Cooper went one better, scoring all of Almondsbury’s strikes as they triumphed 4-1 at Chipping Sodbury to stay second. Sophie Kelly was on target for the home side.
Oldland Abbotonians remained a point adrift of the top two after a 10-1 mauling of Weston-superMare. There were hat-tricks for Chloe Tape and Beth Dale, a double for Bryony Higgs, and goals for Vicky Mundy and Olivia Goozee. Desni Darch replied for Weston.
“We were clinical and 7-0 up at half-time. It was an outstanding performance,” said Oldland boss Steve Lavis
It was the influential Tape’s penultimate appearance for the club as she is soon moving to America, having already scored seven goals in five games. “She will be a big miss,” admitted Lavis.
Bristol Ladies Union suffered their first reverse of the campaign as they went down 4-2 at Cheltenham Town Development. Ellie Preece and Lily Farr were on the scoresheet for the visitors.
AEK Boco bagged their first win of the season with a 5-2 triumph at Downend Flyers, courtesy of Leanne Burge (2), Robyn Carpenter, Sasha Ferris and Shania Powell.
Rebecca Giles and Danielle Cervaise-Brazier scored for Downend, but to compound a bad day for the home side, they suffered a trio of serious injuries with Giles set to miss the rest of the season due to an operation on a broken wrist and Annabel Bean fracturing her foot.
Cervaise-Brazier also faces weeks on the sidelines after sustaining ligament damage.
Bristol Rovers continue to top Division One of the Gloucestershire County Women’s League, despite the disappointment of having their first home game of the campaign called off because Forest of Dean were forced to forfeit, handing the Gas Girls a walkover win.
Chelsea Pearce scored the only goal of the game for second-placed Pucklechurch as they inflicted a first defeat of the season on Cheltenham Under-21s.
Beth Clatworthy fired into the top corner from the penalty spot, after Ellie Cove had been pushed in the back, to seal Bristol & West’s 1-0 win at Longwell Green. The visitors also hit the woodwork late in the game.
Bristol Ladies Union Development won 6-3 at Abbeymead Rovers.
The Bristol Rovers Development squad continued their 100 per cent start in Division Two with 4-1 win at Bishop’s Cleeve, thanks to goals from Rosie Hall, Katie Rawlings, Lottie Weeks and Zoe Jones.
Bradley Stoke Firsts remained in bottom spot after a 6-0 home defeat by Cotswold Rangers.
Division Three leaders Tytherington Rocks made it four wins from four as they overcame Winchcombe Town 6-3, thanks to Lauren White’s double and goals from Jes Fleming, Jasmine Pither, Abbie Mitchell and Emma Foxwell.
Second-placed Tuffley Rovers were leading 7-0 when their game against Southmead was abandoned at the interval because of a serious injury to one of the visiting players.
Whitchurch & Bristol Ladies continued their good form, moving up to third after a 5-1 home win against Stonehouse Town,. Their goals came from Jess Nicholls (2), Sally Ogle, Frankie Barrymore and Amy Clift.
Portishead Reserves went down 8-0 at home to Purnell Sports in Division One of the Somerset County Women’s League.
Rebecca Nash and Jasmine Rogers were on target for Stockwood as they suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 15-2 at Porlock in Division Two.
RESULTS
FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Div: Keynsham Tn 2 Portsmouth 7, Watford 5 Oxford Utd 2, Yeovil Tn 6 Gillingham 1.
Women’s FA Cup second qualifying round: Cheltenham Tn 5 Brislington 0, Portishead Tn 1 Wootton Bassett Tn 0.
SW Women’s League Premier Div: Ilminster Tn 4 Callington Tn 0, Keynsham Tn Dev 2 Bishops Lydeard 1, Middlezoy v Torquay Utd pp. Northern Div: Cheltenham Tn Dev 4 Bristol Ladies Union 2, Chipping Sodbury Town 1 Almondsbury 4, Downend Flyers 2 AEK Boco 5, Frampton Rangers 3 Weston Mendip 0, Oldland Abbotonians 10 Westonsuper-Mare 1.
Gloucestershire County Women’s League Div I: Abbeymead Rov 3 Bristol Ladies Union Dev 6, Bristol Rovers home walkover v Forest of Dean, Longwell Green 0 Bristol & West 1, Pucklechurch 1 Cheltenham U21 0. Div II: Bishops Cleeve 1 Bristol Rovers Dev 4, Bradley Stoke Firsts 0 Cotswold Rngrs6, Cirencester Tn 3 Gloucester C 10, Dursley Tn 7 Cheltenham CS 3.
Div III: Downend Flyers Res v Bradley Stoke Dev away walkover, Tuffley Rov v Southmead abandoned, Tytherington Rocks 6 Winchcombe Town 3, Whitchurch & Bristol 5 Stonehouse Tn 1.
Somerset County Women’s League Div I: Ash Rngrs 3 Ilminster Tn Res 1, Bishops Lydeard Res 10 Pen Mill Res 0, Portishead Res 0 Purnell Sports 1.
Div II: Combe St Nicholas 3 Crewkerne Rngrs 1, Isle of Wedmore 20 Hamilton 0, Porlock 15 Stockwood Wndrs 2, Purnell Res 1 Cheddar 1.
FIXTURES - TONIGHT FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Div: Gillingham v Crawley Wasps, Keynsham Tn v Yeovil Tn.
SW Div: Brislington v Larkhall Ath.
SATURDAY
FA Women’s Super League: Manchester C v Birmingham C.
SUNDAY
FA Women’s Super League: Brighton v West Ham Utd, Chelsea v Arsenal, Liverpool v Bristol C, Tottenham v Manchester Utd, Reading v Everton.
FA Women’s National League Cup first round: Hounslow v Keynsham Tn.
FA Women’s National League Plate first round: Brislington v AFC Wimbledon.
SW Women’s League Premier Div: Bideford v Middlezoy, Bishops Lydeard v Marine Academy Plymouth, Keynsham Tn Dev v Callington Tn, Torquay Utd v Portishead, Wootton Bassett Tn v Ilminster Tn.
Northern Div: AEK Boco v Frampton Rngrs, Almondsbury v Downend Flyers, Bristol Ladies Union v Chipping Sodbury, Oldland Abbotonians v Weston Mendip, Westonsuper-Mare v Cheltenham Tn Dev. Gloucestershire County Women’s League Gordon Perrett Cup first round: Bradley Stoke Dev v Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham CS v Mitcheldean, Cheltenham U21 v Stonehouse Tn, Downend Flyers Res v Bradley Stoke Firsts, Pucklechurch v Dursley Tn, Southmead v Bristol Rovers Dev, Tytherington Rocks v Gloucester C, Whitchurch & Bristol v Longlevens, Winchcombe Tn v Cirencester Tn. Somerset County Women’s League Div I: Ilminster Tn Res v Hutton, Keynsham Tn Res v Ash Rngrs.
Div II: Cheddar v Porlock, Hamilton v Bishops Lydeard Res, Isle of Wedmore v Burnham Utd Res.