Neall impresses as Gloucester City Women make it three wins in a row

Maggie Neall opened the scoring and put in a Player of the Match display as Gloucester City Women made it three wins in a row and three league wins on the spin with a 3-0 win over Frampton Rangers Ladies.

Three goals in six first half minutes from Neall, Sachi Kaneko-Grun and Libby Goater saw City go into half time three goals to the good and even though they didn’t add to the scoring in the second half, the hosts eased to victory in the end.

Chris Hill’s side move up to 6th place in the South West Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division table with the win and opened up a four point gap between themselves and Frampton, who remain in the bottom two.

Crucially, City have only played 10 league matches and have at least two games in hand over some of the sides below them and having won their last three league games, Hill’s side will be looking to kick on for the remainder of the season.

The momentum is with Gloucester heading into two big games to conclude February, with a trip to Bristol City U21s in the County Cup next weekend, before their final home league match of the season against Torquay United the following weekend.

For Frampton, they have a tough tie in the County Cup next weekend as they head to AEK Boco Ladies, before March sees them play two of their final three league matches of the season.

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The game saw City start well, moving the ball between the lines quickly and looking to get Neall and Kaneko-Grun on the ball in and around the Frampton box.

Despite the possession and pressure, the hosts found chances coming at a premium however, with Neall’s 19th minute low effort saved well with the only real clear cut chance in the opening exchanges.

Ellie Michael nearly pinched a lead for the visitors on 31 minutes, as she got onto a swept clearance from Katie Thatcher – but Michael couldn’t send her 40 yard effort on target.

Frampton keeper Eleanor Child saved well to keep out Lucabella Davis, but could do nothing moments later when Neall got onto a through ball on the left side of the box and fired home into the bottom corner.

Two minutes later, it was 2-0. A long ball forward saw Child come out to claim the ball on the edge of her box, only for the ball to squirm away from her and Sachi Kankeo-Grun slotted home into the empty net from 18 yards.

And the scoring spree was concluded on 44 minutes when a corner was cleared out to and hooked back into the box by Roxy Karbownik, who had an outstanding game at the back for the hosts, and Libby Goater was on hand to flick the ball past Child and in off the post.

After the break, Fliss Winters nearly added a spectacular fourth, but her outside of the boot effort looped just over – with Neall putting in two great crosses moments later, but no red shirts could get on the end of them.

Goater whipped in a cross from the right that bounced between Child and a defender before trickling wide, whilst Child produced a good save to keep out a Kaneko-Grun header.

In the end it was fairly comfortable for Chris Hill’s side, who move onto Bristol City U21s full of confidence.

Gloucester City Women: Thatcher, Winters, Tichy, Karbownik, Slanina-Wertz, Neall, Stichter, Goater, Kaneko-Grun, Vandries, Davis

Subs: Todd, Grey, Dix, North, Skibinski

Frampton Rangers Ladies: Child, Day, Francis, Herrick, Hewitt, E Michael, R Michael, Nolan, Poole, B Wharin, Farr

Subs: Harris, L Wharin, Robinson, Revill

C Martin Roofing Player of the Match – Maggie Neall (Gloucester City Women)