CHELT TOWN LADIES 0 EXETER CITY LADIES 4

WITH cold weather and Christmas causing games to be somewhat sporadic over the last few months, facing top of the table Exeter City Ladies was a daunting prospect for Cheltenham Town Ladies.

Last time out they dominated play and ended the match with nine goals conceded.

This was something the Robins could not afford a repeat of.

Exeter may well have been expecting a walkover, but from the first whistle it was clear Cheltenham Ladies would not allow that to happen.

The passing was slick and striker Katy Adams was running the defence ragged.

Captain Rhona Donaldson tested the Exeter keeper a few times in the first 15 minutes, proving that the Robins were up for the battle.

Surprisingly Exeter did not have a single attack in the first 20 minutes, but when they did it proved costly.

Their striker ran clear and Hannah Robson gave chase, closing her down well.

There were calls for a Cheltenham free-kick as the striker seemed to unleash an elbow to Robson's face.

The referee however saw it differently. He blew for a penalty claiming Robson was holding the player, and with her being the last defender she was given a red card.

Luckily for Cheltenham Exeter failed to convert the penalty, but playing with ten players for more than 70 minutes was never going to be easy.

Two quality strikes in the first half meant Exeter went in at the break with a two-goal lead.

Despite a rousing half-time team talk from the players and the manager, coming back with only ten proved too difficult.

This was not helped when after all three subs had been used Mel McIlwraith went down with a bad ankle injury – leaving the Robins to finish the game with only nine players.

The game ended 4-0 after two further unstoppable strikes from the visitors.

CHELTENHAM LADIES: A Blair, C Austin, A Silks, H Robson, C Rutherford, K Dunleavy, A Lebbon, K Walker, l Dawson, R Donaldson, K Adams. Subs: M McIlwraith, N Potter, R Brunnland, l Haigh, E Roberts.