Wycombe Wanderers 1-3 Bristol Rovers
FA Women’s National League, The 1878 Stadium, Sunday 13th September
Bristol Rovers Women returned to winning ways at The 1878 Stadium as they came from behind to beat Wycombe Wanderers 3-1, on an afternoon when new debutant Libby Davies grabbed a late goal, securing all three points.
Wycombe boasted a 100 per cent record in the first three games of the league season, and took the lead through Anaisa Harney with just under 20 minutes on the clock.
Rovers were not behind for long though, as Helena Costa brought her side level by smashing home from a couple of yards out to capitalise on a goalkeeping mistake. The turnaround was complete before the break too, with Anais Trinci converting her free kick from a tight angle on the left to put the Gas ahead.
It was more of the same from Rovers in the second half, and in the closing moments, Davies finished from inside the box to open her account and wrap up all three points for the Gas.
Wycombe enjoyed their fair share of possession in the early exchanges without seriously testing George Hunt in the away net. But after a nice spell from the hosts, Harney found herself with enough time to round Hunt and put her team ahead.
Rovers were never out of it, though, and continued to challenge for the leveller. Costa was a consistent threat for her side in behind, able to pivot on the spot to get a shot away and earn a corner as the Gas built momentum.
And it wasn’t much longer until Costa herself grabbed the equaliser. After Lilia Dempsey pressured the keeper into rushing her clearance, the resulting block fell kindly into the striker’s path for the easiest of finishes.
That put the Gas level after half an hour, and they didn’t stop there. Layah Douglas won her side a set piece on the left flank, and it was Trinci who stepped up to convert it at the near post, catching the keeper by surprise to put Rovers ahead at half-time.
The first change of the day came during the break and was a significant one, with Davies coming on for her debut after signing from Swindon Town only a few days prior.
Both sides had opportunities in the second half, but Rovers continued to look good for their lead. It was the new number nine who had the first proper chance for the Gas, as she struck from the edge of the area to force a good save.
Davies was equally key in bringing others into play as Rovers pushed for another. Gipsy Viveash received the ball on the right and drove at her marker, putting in a low cross that just evaded Costa in the centre of the box - however, the flag was raised in the aftermath.
Having won the free kick for the second, Douglas then brilliantly intercepted a switch of play and tried her own luck this time, as her right-footed shot from outside the box was smartly tipped round the near post.
The Rovers defence stood firm against everything Wycombe threw at it, and it looked like the one-goal advantage was going to stay until the end. But in the dying moments, Davies wrapped up the three points by lashing in her debut goal at the near post, rounding off an excellent away day for the Gas.
HALLETT-YOUNG: IT'S A REALLY GOOD PERFORMANCE FROM US, BUT WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET.
Q: Nathan, a win on the road. What do you make of that one?
"I think the key words are grit and tenacity. We showed a lot of passion across the board, and it's nice for us to put in a big performance. We've been doing that over the last couple of weeks. We saw it against Exeter, where the performance was there but the result wasn't. Today, it's good to have the result match the performance.
"I'm really pleased with how we're progressing. It's been a combination of the work we've put in over the last few weeks, with performances steadily building. We've added some quality in the attacking areas this week as well, so it's been a really positive week overall."
Q: Three very different goals as well. You must be pleased with all of them?
"Absolutely. The first one comes from our press, and we've forced the mistake, so we'll happily take that. It gave us a platform, and from there we didn't really look back.
"There were some really good passages of play from us and some excellent chances created. We probably could have scored a few more. It's going to take Lib a little bit of time to get fully up to speed, but the fact she's scored on her debut is brilliant. You can already see what she's going to bring to the side, and I'm really pleased for her.
"Overall, it's a tough place to come, and it's going to be a difficult ground for teams to pick up points. They've shown that with the start they've made to life in the National League. For us, we wanted to show the physicality and standard required at this level. I'm pleased we've come here, put in a strong performance and shown the level that's needed to compete at the top end of the table.
"It's a really good performance from us, but we're not finished yet. There's still more to come and more areas where we can keep improving. As I said, it's the product of the work we've put in over the last few weeks, and hopefully we can keep building on it."
Q: You mentioned Libby's debut goal, but how pleased were you with the all-round team performance today?
"I thought everyone put in a really good shift. The back line was superb. Becky, Freya, Anais and Layah were all excellent, and Gipsy did really well in the wing-back role too.
"We've shown that we can be adaptable during games, whether that's changing systems, playing some nice intricate football, or going a little more direct when we need to. We're building really well, and I'm hopeful we can continue that.
"We've got a tough fixture next week, and we know it's going to be another difficult test, so now it's about getting back on the bus, recovering properly and going again."
DAVIES: RESULTS LIKE THAT ONLY HELP BUILD CONFIDENCE.
Q: Libby, a goal on debut. How enjoyable was that?
"It was really enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed my first game with the girls, learning how they play and building those connections on the pitch. It's great to contribute with a goal, and hopefully there's plenty more to come."
Q: A really good away win as well. How's the confidence in the dressing room?
"The girls are buzzing. Results like that only help build confidence, and there was plenty of noise in the changing room afterwards. Everyone's really excited, and we're already looking forward to next week."
Q: You're back at home next weekend. How much are you looking forward to pulling on the blue and white in front of the fans?
"I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be a tough game. I played against Moneyfields last season with Swindon, so I know they're a good side. We'll look at any areas we can improve on today, work on them in training this week and make sure we're ready for the challenge next weekend."
