Baldwin stands out as Gloucester City Women Reserves claim big three points

Naomi Baldwin put in a Player of the Match display as Gloucester City Women Reserves moved five points clear of the relegation places, beating Paulton Rovers 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Having trailed to Alisha Stuart’s first half effort, goals from Dani Bullock and Georgia Vandries saw City claim their third league win of the season to now find themselves with a decent gap between themselves and the bottom three in the South West Regional League Division One North.

Paulton remain in the bottom three, but know they made their hosts work for their points and had a couple of decent chances to add to Stuart’s effort.

But in the end the pressure told and City secured their first win since October.

Paulton are back in league action next weekend, as they host Whitchurch Ladies – whilst Gloucester City Reserves head to Wells City in the league cup.

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Both sides cancelled each other out in the early exchanges, with Alice Ford’s free kick fired into the City wall with the only chance of the first 18 minutes.

Stuart, who had to leave the field after taking a clearance to the face on 2 minutes, came back on to break the deadlock on 19 minutes – firing into the bottom corner from 18 yards, leaving Frankie O’Neil agonisingly unable to reach the effort.

City lost forward Kate Ambrey to a leg injury moments before the goal and her replacement for the rest of the half was centre back Roxy Karbownik and Karbownik should have levelled instantly, but saw her close range effort saved by Rosie Kelsey.

Kelsey did well to keep out a long range Fliss Winters effort, before Alisha Kantorowicz rattled the crossbar with 10 minutes to go until half time.

Naomi Baldwin was getting forward and pressing high for the hosts and it felt like the equaliser would come down her side.

Kelsey made two further stops from Libby Goater and Mirry Smith to keep her side ahead at the break.

City introduced Bullock and Vandries at the break and the former touched home a Smith free kick within five minutes of the restart.

Smith’s ball in was going in anyway, but Bullock nodded it over the line to level the contest.

Paulton had a great chance on the hour, but after a corner from the right bounced through for Alexei Turner, the defender saw her header miraculously kept out by O’Neil.

And the save proved to be crucial on 68 minutes, as Bullock slipped the ball to her right after beating the offside trap and Vandries fired across Kelsey and into the bottom corner.

Vandries went close to a second 10 minutes later, but curled wide from the left corner of the box – but City would go on to see the game out easily enough and end their two and half month wait for a win.

Gloucester City Women Reserves: O’Neil, Fletcher, Kantorowicz, Johnson, Mansell, Winters, McAusland, Baldwin, Goater, Ambrey, Smith

Subs: Rivers, Bullock, Vandries, Karbownik, Norris

Paulton Rovers Ladies: Kelsey, Turner, Thatcher, Dwyer, Haskins, Cook, Ford, White, Abbott, Stuart, Woodland

Subs: Newton, Slocombe, Cordier

C Martin Roofing Player of the Match – Naomi Baldwin (Gloucester City Women Reserves)