“It’s one nil, a one-nil win counts” says the Cheltenham Saracens manager after earning a place in the Gloucestershire’s Women’s FA Cup Semi-Final.
The Cheltenham Saracens Women edged past local rivals Cheltenham Civil Defence Service with a narrow 1-0 victory in the Gloucestershire Women’s FA Cup quarter-final, securing their place in the last four.
A tightly contested affair at the Cheltenham Civil Service Sports Ground saw both sides battle hard for control and their spot into the next round, with limited chances at either end.
The decisive moment came in the first half when Leah Rhodes fired home to put the Saracens in the lead. Despite the Civil Ladies efforts to respond, the Saracens’ defensive resilience ensured they held on for the win.
Manager, Simon Galpin was pleased with the result but admitted it was a tough game. “I’m very happy. Another game out of the way, and we will now focus on next week.”
He shared, “I think the game was very even all the way through, we didn’t have a lot of chances, they didn’t have a lot of chances. There were a lot of scruffy moments. In the last 10-minutes of the game was when we looked more composed and saw the game out.”
A great performance from the whole team, moves us through to the Semi-Final 👏
— Cheltenham Saracens Women (@WomenSaracens) February 16, 2025
Goal from Leah Rhodes, sponsored by Ballerz#womensfootball #football #cheltenham pic.twitter.com/VB1sdEOYki
The second half saw the Civil Defence Ladies push for an equalizer, but the Saracens disciplined backline stood firm.
Galpin acknowledged the challenges posed by the difficult playing conditions and the physical nature of the match.
“It’s February, it’s cold. The pitches are not great, so it’s nice to get another match in the cup rather than the league. We talked about keeping things simple and organized in half time. There were moments in the game where we looked a bit scruffy, especially in the second half”.
With a semi-final showdown clash against Dursley Women approaching next weekend, the Saracens manager emphasizes the importance of recovery.
Find out more here: Fixtures | Gloucestershire County Women’s Football League
“The most important thing is we’ve got players available for next week. We picked up a few injuries today, and with a small squad, one or two players out makes a huge difference.
We won’t dwell too much on this game, we will just focus on playing simple, quality football in the next match.”
In spite of setbacks, Galpin remains optimistic but realistic. “There are some very, very good teams left in this competition. But we will, like every game, reset, and whoever is put in front of us, we will do our best.”
He added, ” We’re playing against good teams, and we need to learn from it. The expectations are simple – if we win, great. If we lose, that’s also great. It’s all about a learning curve.
“We are who we are, we are a grassroots ladies’ football team that tries to do our best. You can always play better, but we did what we needed to do today.”
The Saracens’ cup run has been a testament to their ability to push for the best results in crucial moments, and their next fixture against Dursley promises to be another stern test.
A huge achievement yesterday for the @WomenSaracens as a 1-nil victory in a local derby against the Civil Defense Ladies earned the Saracens a spot in the Semi-Finals of the Gloucestershire Women’s FA Cup! 🏆@ParkLife_Sport pic.twitter.com/EKQD69ekP0
— Aliyah Ahmed ✍🏼⚽️ (@AliyahA73) February 17, 2025
For the Civil Defence Ladies, it was a valiant effort, but their cup journey ends here. They will now return their attention back to the league, looking to rebuild on a spirited performance despite narrow defeat.
