Cheltenham Town Women’s manager Tom Davies was delighted to see his side secure their first league win of the season, with the focus now turning to a busy week of fixtures in both the league and the FA Cup.
The Robinesses dominated Plymouth Argyle with a 4-1 victory, after a frustrating run of performances in which Cheltenham had come close to getting the results they wanted, making the three points particularly important as they look to build momentum.
“Obviously really pleased for everyone. We’ve been really close over the last couple of weeks and not quite got there for different reasons,” Davies said.
“And to get over the line today is really important and exactly what we need.”
The result gives Cheltenham a platform to build on as they look to carry their improved performances into the coming weeks.
Davies was also encouraged by his side’s attacking output this season, with goals coming from a variety of sources as Cheltenham continue to develop their threat in the final third.
“Exactly where we want to be, recent years we’ve had attacking threats, maybe not scored as many as we have done,” he said.
“So it’s been really pleasing this year that we’re scoring goals and in different ways.”
The Robinesses boss
believes that increased goal threat has become an important part of the team’s identity, giving the players confidence that they can influence games regardless of the situation.
“It gives us an opportunity in the game and always makes us believe we have an opportunity, whether we are coming back, whether we are in front, whatever that looks like,” Davies added.
“It’s a big part of our game that we have been working on, but also obviously individuals have contributed really well with those goals.”
With their first league win now secured, Cheltenham must quickly turn their attention to Portsmouth as they prepare for back-to-back fixtures across the league and the FA Cup.
Davies stressed the importance of reviewing the performance while ensuring her players are ready for the demands of a busy schedule.
“We will reflect on today. We can go through the things we can do better, things that we were pleased with and the focus on what this week looks like,” he said.
“Obviously, a little bit different, we’re back-to-back games and we’ve got to approach it in a certain way to make sure we try and maximise both performances.”
Despite the quick turnaround, Davies remains confident in his side’s preparation and their ability to carry the momentum from their league victory into the next challenge.
“We will prepare our team and we will train as we always do, and we’ll go there with the belief that we are going to get two positive results, both in the league and the FA Cup.”
After finally getting their first league win on the board, Cheltenham will hope the result marks the beginning of a more consistent run as they look to make the most of a crucial week.
