Match highlights of Bristol Rovers Women's Vs Abbeymead Rovers (12th January 2020) Courtesy of official Gas Girls partner Bristol 24/7
Today (Sunday 10th January) would have marked the return of League action for Bristol Rovers Women's FC against Abbeymead Rovers Ladies at Lockleaze Sports Centre. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the current restrictions in place, this fixture will now take place at a later date.
With no action on the pitch to get excited about for the coming weeks, we dipped into the archives to look back at our last meeting with Abbeymead Rovers on January 12th 2020.
Heading into a new year, the 'Gas Girls' looked continue their 100% record in the League. The starting line-up witnessed four Development Team players make an appearance after impressing in the opening few months of the season. Testament to opportunities that the club tries to offer our players in both squads. Cheyenne Lee, Sarah Harris, Chloe Campbell and Jess Lumber all featured in what was to be an impressive display in front of the Bristol Rovers fans.
The 'Gas Girls' were piling on the pressure from the off with some fine saves from Abbeymead's goalkeeper, keeping Rovers at bay. However the deadlock was broken when the opening goal came from a Libby Bell free-kick that nestled into the bottom corner, just out of reach of the Abbeymead goalkeeper.
Bell shortly added a second with a lob over the keeper that bounced over the line after a failed attempted to be cleared by an Abbeymead defender.
Libby Bell scores her second of the match for Bristol Rovers Women's against Abbeymead (Photo - Rich Buchannan)
Bristol Rovers Women's continued their momentum into the second half with pressure from the off. Rossana Rocha hits the bar with a fierce shot with her left foot as Courtney Adams also hitting the inside of the post with a great strike on the edge of the box.
First-team debutant Jess Lumber was having a superb game and her performance was rewarded with a beautiful strike that flew into the top corner to make it 3-0. Shortly after it was Rocha who made it 4-0 with powerful driving strike into the bottom corner.
Jess Lumber scores on her 'Gas Girls' debut to make it 3-0 (Pic - Rich Buchannan)
Leading scorer Georgia Vandries continued to be a nuisance in the box, worming her way through the Abbeymead defence before she was brought down to give the 'Gas Girls' a penalty. Libby Bell failed to convert from the spot after a fantastic stop from the keeper, however the officials ruled that she was encroaching the line. The second attempt sadly went inches wide of the post to deny Bell a deserved hat-trick.
With the clock winding down, Rocha sealed the win with a neatly placed free-kick into the top corner to make it 5-0 to Bristol Rovers Women's. At the time of this win, the 'Gas Girls' would only be two victories away from claiming the title, before the Covid-19 Pandemic would take a stranglehold on the UK just a couple of months later.
Team: Shawna Hannam, Natasha Galpin, Sarah Harris, Courtney Adams, Natalie Coles, Cheyenne Lee, Libby Bell, Chloe Campbell, Georgia Vandries, Jess Lumber, Hannah Thompson
Subs: Rhianna Jamieson, Rossana Rocha, Anna Hubble, Katie Rawlings, Jamie-Leigh Worlock
Goals: Bell x2, Rocha x2, Lumber
POTM: Jess Lumber
Attendance: 150