Cheltenham dominates Norristown

Cheltenham’s match against Norristown may not have been pretty, but a win was exactly what the team needed to halt a three-game slide.

“Overall, we played well enough, we didn’t play with a great deal of zest, but we played well enough to win,” Cheltenham coach Mark Woodcock said. “We needed to get back to basics and for the most part we did that. We were in control and I think we did nicely.”

The Panthers took the match 3-0 in convincing fashion. Cheltenham’s offensive pressure was too much, barely allowing Norristown out of its own half of the pitch. Despite a bit of sloppy play on both sides, the win has set Cheltenham back on the right path.

“We started the season very strong, but the last few games I have seen a significant drop off,” Woodcock said. “But today we played with basic skills and played with the ball in their half more than ours. We worked hard today and we are going to run with it.”

Cheltenham was in control from the opening whistle. The girls connected passes and made dangerous runs down the flank, which caused trouble for the Eagles’ defense. The only issue the Panthers had in the match was a lack of clinical finishing. The home side could have easily scored a few more goals if it found the scoring touch more frequently.

The first goal came in the 21st minute when Emily Leibovitz smashed home a

cross from Alex Macklin. The goal came at a point where the Norristown back line could not bend an inch more without breaking and the Cheltenham offense was relieved to finally find the inside of the net.

Two minutes before halftime, Oceana Hopkins drew a penalty in the 18yard box and the referee pointed to the spot. Sarah Keeny promptly stepped up and buried the penalty kick, putting the Panthers up 2-0 at the break.

The second half was more of the same for Cheltenham. Although the Eagles did manage to go forward a handful of times, it was all Panthers all the time. In the 55th minute, Hopkins slammed the door on Norristown with a strike in front of goal that sneaked by the keeper and tucked into the left corner. Cheltenham was up 3-0 and the match was effectively over.