Playing for fun is the key for Andoversford
» PROVIDING opportunities for women footballers of all abilities is the overarching priority for Andoversford, says player-coach Karly Smith.
While an ever-growing number of Gloucestershire clubs are seeking to make a mark by progressing up the women’s football pyramid, the newly-formed Cotswold outfit have a different aim.
“Our goal is simply to give women a platform to play football,” said Smith. “What I really want to do, along with the other coaches, is allow women who have never played before to take part.
“We’ve got a real mix of abilities, so our aim is to have fun and enjoy it. We obviously want to win games, but we’re not setting a goal of promotion or anything like that.
“There are teams out there who are super-competitive, and that’s fantastic if they want to do that, but we just want to be a safe space for women to play football and develop as people too.”
Last season, Smith was at Tewkesbury Town, who had a similar ethos but folded over the summer, while Andoversford applied to enter the Gloucestershire County Women’s League as Montpellier before suddenly making the move a few miles east.
“There was just a difference of opinion about how the team would be run, the focus of the team,” revealed Smith. “We just felt it was best to stick to what we had in mind, but there are no hard feelings.”
Andoversford began the Division Three season with a walkover against Ashton Keynes followed by a 6-0 loss at Ellwood and 3-0 defeats against Downend III and Kingswood, but they broke their goalscoring duck against SGS Olveston Reserves on Sunday, albeit in a 5-2 home reverse.
Carrie Lavallee cancelled out the Olveston opener, and Claire Kenny pulled things back to 3-2, but the visitors eventually took the points.
Smith added: “It was a really good match from our point of view.
“We’ve improved in every game and that was the best we have played so far.”
Elsewhere in Division Three, Mitcheldean beat Ellwood 1-0 in their Forest of Dean derby, Bethany Cole scoring.
In Division Two, Robyn Evans, Eden Marsh and Nikola Biskup struck in Cirencester’s 3-0 success against Downend Reserves, while Bradley Stoke beat leaders AEK Boco Reserves 2-1.
In the South West Premier Division, Forest Green Rovers are level on points with Bristol Rovers and Sherborne at the top of the table after a 3-2 home victory over Poole.
All the goals came in the first half, with Poppy Mortimer and Charlie Rowlands scoring for Forest Green after Madison Kemp and Katie Marshallsay had turned things around following Hattie Jones’ opener.
In round one of the GFA Women’s Challenge Trophy, Cheltenham Saracens beat Gloucester City 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
City’s Kacie Anderson and Saracens’ Lauren Wyatt netted first-half goals before Hannah Galpin, Kelly Adams and Sophie Vincent kept their cool from the spot. Adrienne Cookdunwoody saved from Chloe Golding and Rakiya Morganking, while Zoe Gabb fired over the crossbar.
Dursley slumped 7-1 at higher-division St Vallier, Georgina Macey hitting the consolation from the penalty spot, while Pucklechurch beat Bristol Rovers Development 2-1, and Downend defeated Bristol & West 4-2.
In the GFA Women’s Challenge Cup, City of Gloucester knocked out Winchcombe 5-1 as Lilli-mae Owen bagged a hat-trick, Eve Clarke and Courtney Lusmore also on the mark.
Gloucester City Development won 2-0 at Kingswood thanks to goals from Kate Ambrey and Katie Williams, while Whitchurch walloped Downend III 10-0 and Red Falcon beat Southmead 3-2.
Key matches this weekend include Cheltenham at Crawley Wasps in the National League Southern Premier, Forest Green away to Bournemouth in the FA Cup, and County League clashes between Abbeymead and Gloucester City, and Cheltenham Saracens and Tuffley.