Bristol Rovers v Swindon Town,
FA Women’s National League, The Nigel Eady County Ground, Wednesday 18th February, 7:45 pm
Bristol Rovers are back on the road this week as they return to league action in a battle of the top spots, facing Swindon Town at The Nigel Eady County Ground.
The Gas Girls head into the fixture full of confidence following an impressive 3–1 cup victory over Cheltenham Town. Rovers made a dominant start in that tie, with Ella Hilliard opening the scoring inside the first ten minutes with a close-range header. The lead was later doubled after excellent work from Chloe Bassett, with Chloe Snook finding the net with a superb long-range strike.
A disciplined defensive display, combined with crucial saves from George Hunt, kept their opponents at bay. Despite conceding late on to make it 2–1, Rovers held firm under pressure before Snook cut back in clinical style during added time to find the net and secure a well-deserved victory.
The result against the Tier 3 side sets the Gas Girls up nicely for midweek, and as manager Nathan Harlett-Young reflected on Sunday’s performance, he believes it provides valuable momentum: “I think the group are really together … we are really starting to grow,” he said, looking ahead to the match against Swindon.
Read everything you need to know about the fixture below...
Tickets...
Venue...
The Nigel Eady County Ground
County Ground, County Rd, Swindon SN1 2ED
Opposition...
Swindon Town sit second in the table after an impressive season, with a game in hand. They have recorded 12 wins and just one loss, accumulating 36 points so far. The season started strongly for Swindon with a 4–1 victory on opening day, setting a positive tone. Their first defeat of the season came this month, a narrow 1–0 loss to Maidenhead United. Swindon head into this midweek clash off the back of a dominant cup win, beating Bemerton Heath Harlequins Ladies 9–0.
Previous Meetings...
When the two teams met earlier this season, the Gas Girls suffered their first league defeat, going down 2-1 at The Mem.
Whilst they were unfortunate on that occasion, the Gas Girls will be determined to secure a win this time around. In last season’s away fixture at Foundation Park, Rovers came out on top, with Nia Rees opening the scoring just before half-time and Meg Jarvis doubling the lead in the second half to seal a 2-0 victory.
