From maternity to match days - Gabb enjoying returning to football as a mother

Over the summer Zoe Gabb stepped away from football as she was set to give birth to her first child and six weeks after her son was born, she found herself back on the pitch but in new surroundings!

Gabb joined newly reformed Newent Town Women initially to keep herself fit following childbirth, with the intention to play as and when she could.

Fast forward to last Sunday and the striker scored her third goal of the season and netted in the shoot-out as Newent secured victory in their first ever cup tie as a team.

The Gordon Perrett League Cup win over Ellwood was Gabb’s seventh appearance of the season and her first full 90 minutes as Newent went into the tie with a bare XI.

Following the win, Gabb spoke to us about the game and how pleased she was to be back on the pitch so soon.

“The game was a little scrappy, we only had eleven players and with Me and Meg Long needing to play 90 minutes for the first time following Meg’s ACL injury and me coming back from having a baby! – But was buzzing to score. I love scoring and I love to help the team where I can,” said Gabb.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t see the game out in ninety minutes, but glad we got the job done on penalties.

I knew from the start of the pregnancy I wasn’t done with football, but it’s thanks to Newent and the girls for allowing me to come back so quickly – without them I couldn’t do it, they are so supportive!

I have Claire [twin sister Claire Gabb] within the team, so I knew I would have the support from my sister helping me get back to it!

I wouldn’t say it’s easy coming back from having a baby and I need to keep remembering I have just had a baby and I’m not going to bounce back to the player I was i.e fitness straight away,” Gabb added.

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Newent Town Women were reformed by a number of former Gloucester City Women players who had left the club over the last couple of seasons and after seven league matches find themselves in 4th place in the Gloucestershire County Women’s League Division Two table, six points off the league leaders but with three games in hand.

Newent boast five wins, one draw and one defeat from their first league matches and are now in the second round of the Gordon Perrett Cup and after Meg Long and Meg Sterry outlined to Severn Sport back in October that a lot of the aims for this season are about getting players enjoying playing football again, Gabb agrees that the close knit squad will spend the rest of the season getting their confidence back on the pitch together.

“I was so happy when I heard about the girls wanting to start a new team, it doesn’t come around often when your best friends can stay together playing football most of the time, you just either stop playing or go elsewhere.

We are a close knit team and having the experience of all knowing each other just made sense for me when I was looking at getting back into football, so yeah I’m very pleased to be playing at Newent.

I would second what both the Megs said on the breakfast show last year, about the ambitions, it’s about all of us enjoying football again, getting our confidence back,” said Gabb.

“I would love to see us come in the top three, but who knows, we can aim big. Individually, I am trying to get back to the player I was prior to having a baby, particularly with sharpness and fitness and of course, getting more starts and scoring even more goals!” Gabb added.

Next up for Newent Town Women is a trip to 2nd place North Bristol Wanderers Women on Sunday, before a trip to Mangotsfield United Women Reserves to conclude their January fixtures – with a crucial trip to City of Gloucester Women ahead of them at the start of February.

Cover photo taken and copyright Jamie Brain Photography. Visit his Instagram @jamiebrain_photography