Gloucester City Women come from behind to make it three from three

Gloucester City Women came from behind to beat Cirencester Town Ladies, 2-1, at the TigerTurf Stadium – keeping up their perfect start to their league campaign.

City’s First Team have only played three league games, but goals from Sachi Kaneko-Grun and Chloe Golding saw them make it three from three having trailed at half time.

Clare Hill’s close range effort had put Cirencester Town in front before half time, and the visitors were very unfortunate to leave Gloucester without any points.

The game started very evenly, with City having the first chances of the game as Lucabella Davis having an effort saved by Leah Haney-Wilcox, who then showed great agility to come and smother at the feet of Kaneko-Grun.

Kaneko-Grun fired over and wide as City began to dominate in the first 20 minutes or so.

The striker lined up two shots in about 30 seconds, striking Haney-Wilcox’s left hand upright and then ratting the crossbar.

At this point, Cirencester were clinging on.

Cirencester were able to get themselves up the pitch and won a flurry of corners, which came to nothing.

But on 22 minutes, Amelia Dudding’s free kick was tipped onto the crossbar and the rebound fell for Clare Hill to convert from close range.

Haney-Wilcox kept her side in front moments later, keeping up Davis’ attempt to squeeze an effort in at the near post.

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Both sides created chances in the early exchanges of the second half, with Kaneko-Grun seeing her effort deflected wide for a corner, Davis having an effort saved by Haney-Wilcox and Amelia Dudding’s deflected goalbound cross, kept out by Sam Linteo.

And just after the hour mark, City levelled. The most likely to get the hosts on the scoresheet was Kaneko-Grun and the striker duly obliged with a driven effort from 18 yards that flew past Haney-Wilcox.

Cirencester nearly restored their lead straight away, but Niki Biskup couldn’t direct her effort on target after being played in by Libby Messenger.

City grew into the half and with just under 15 minutes to go, substitute Chloe Golding latched onto a through ball, beating Haney-Wilcox to it and squeezed her effort past the keeper and it trickled in, agonisingly for the visitors.

Star Allen and Lucy Scrannage had late efforts for Ciren, but they just didn’t have enough to find the leveller.

The visitors will come away from the game gutted that they didn’t take home a share of the spoils, but they will have plenty of positives to take after a really good performance – particularly when they had full back Sarah Candy and midfielder Lucy Scrannage at the centre back for most of the game.

Ciren will be hoping to get back to winning ways next Sunday, when they host St Vallier Ladies at the Corinium Stadium.

For City, their momentum keeps building ahead of a tough FA Cup tie against Marine Academy Plymouth Ladies next weekend.

Gloucester City Women: Linteo, Skibinski, Soave, Fitzsimon, Neall, Davis, Grey, Ross, Todd, Kaneko-Grun, Scheafer

Subs: Golding, Warren, Lasmarias, Gomez, Stichter

Cirencester Town Ladies: Haney-Wilcox, Candy, Margetts, Hill, Messenger, Dancer, Marsh, King, McGouran, Dudding, Scrannage

Subs: Robbins, K Bailey, J Bailey, Biskup, Allen

C Martin Roofing Player of the Match – Sachi Kaneko-Grun (Gloucester City Women) & Clare Hill (Cirencester Town Ladies)