Gloucester City Women come from behind to claim point against Pucklechurch Sports Ladies

Gloucester City Women came from 2-0 down to claim a share of the points as they drew 2-2 with Pucklechurch Sports Ladies.

Goals either side of the break from Natalie Coles and Amy Jeffries had the visitors two goals to the good having seen off serious City pressure in the first half.

But Fliss Winters bundled home from a corner to reduce arrears, before substitute Kami Stichter ghosted in to head home a leveller with just under ten minutes left.

Both sides nearly won the fixture in the final minutes, with both having to settle for a point in the end.

Pucklechurch will be disappointed to have not won after going two goals ahead, but know that Gloucester created enough chances themselves to feel they should have taken all three points.

The result leaves Gloucester City in the bottom two going into the Christmas break, but Chris Hill’s side will know that performances have been better than their results have suggested in the first half of the season.

For Pucklechuch, they fall to 6th in the league but are nearer the top of the South West Regional League Premier Division table than the bottom two.

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Both sides had early chances, with Jeffries intercepting Katie Thatcher’s pass out before firing into the side netting – before Maggie Neall curled a free kick straight at Emily Jones.

Neall ventured up the left hand side to great effect in the first half, with her ball across on 8 minutes leading to Lexie North sliding in but Jones smothered the effort from close range.

Jones saved from Kaneko-Grun on 24 minutes, after initially scuffing her clearance – before Jones then saved easily enough from Neall’s 20 yard effort.

Pucklechurch went down the other end, with Kimberley Maggs denied by Thatcher.

Lucabella Davis held off Courtney Adams on the edge of the box, before playing a neat ball into Sachi Kaneko-Grun, with the striker sending her effort over.

And just as the game looked set to go into half time goalless, a corner from the left was bundled in at the back post by Natalie Coles.

Kaneko-Grun went through on goal just after half time, but slid her effort just wide, before Neall’s cross from the left was palmed away by Jones from under her own crossbar.

City were left stunned just after the hour mark as a long ball forward saw Jeffries beat the on-rushing Thatcher to the ball, before steadying herself and slotting home from 20 yards to make it 2-0 out of nowhere.

From there City went in search of a route back into the game, bringing on Stichter and Holly Rogers as they looked to get bodies in and around Kaneko-Grun.

And with twenty minutes left a lifeline was thrown out by Fliss Winters, as she is credited with the final touch after a crowd of bodies converged on a corner at the back post.

The hosts thought they had levelled with 10 minutes left, when Rogers tapped home from close range, only to see their celebrations cut short by an offside flag.

But moments later they had levelled, as Stichter guided her header into the bottom corner to restore parity.

The visitors nearly grabbed a winner late on, after Thatcher came from a free kick and spilled the ball – but Jeffries could only send her effort trickling just wide as she spun sharply.

Jones produced two good saves from Kaneko-Grun – including a 90th minute effort which was smothered away as Rogers and fellow substitute Paige Todd went in for the follow up.

In the end, both sides had to settle for a point and think about what could have been.

Gloucester City: Thatcher, Dix, Karbownik, Neall, Kaneko-Grun, Grey, Hale, Deveau, North, Winters, Davis

Subs: Rogers, Todd, Slanina-Wertz, Stichter, Reimer

Pucklechurch Sports Ladies: E Jones, Lewis, Rogers, Coles, Osborn, Adams, Sweet, Maggs, Werrett, Jeffries, Tsang

Subs: Welsh, K Jones, Wright, Pilgrim, M Jones

C Martin Roofing Player of the Match – Lucabella Davis (Gloucester City Women)