Cheltenham Civil Service Ladies secured the 2024/25 GFA Women’s Challenge Cup with a 2-0 victory over City of Gloucester, as Jess Brown struck twice in a composed final performance at Bishops Cleeve’s Everyone’s Energy Kayte Lane Stadium.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Service captain Jasmine Hart’s superb through ball set Brown free. Accelerating behind the defence, Brown’s powerful effort from outside the box flew into the roof of the net, leaving City of Gloucester keeper Erin Strahan helpless.
It was a perfect start for Maxine Greenwood’s team and for the next 10 minutes it looked like Service could go on to dominate the match. As they used the full width of the pitch and moved the ball quickly, City struggled to get a foothold in the game, although for all Service’s efforts they failed to create any clear-cut chances.
As the half progressed, City grew into the match with Service keeper Penny Fletcher being called into action. Despite coming into the game with an injury, Fletcher was equal to everything thrown at her. A combination of her excellent handling and a well-drilled defensive unit ensured City were unable to get the goal they craved.
At the other end, Service continued to look dangerous on the break. The pace of Hayley Raimist on the right, and Gemma Riley through the middle, caused City problems but the final ball was often missing and Strahan’s goal went untroubled.
With the teams cancelling each other out for large periods, Service went into the break with their lead intact.
The second half started in a similar pattern to the first. Both Riley and substitute Mary-Ann Gittings had chances to extend Service’s lead after getting behind the back line, but neither was able to convert.
While the lead remained a single goal there was always a chance that City would get back in the tie, although the half settled into a pattern of the teams exchanging possession in midfield with little or no efforts to really challenge either keeper.
As the game entered the last 15 minutes, Service finally extended their lead. Full-back Emily Roberts made a powerful run down the left before sending an inviting cross to the back post which left Strahan and her defenders stranded. Kaydee Wheeler timed her run perfectly, slotting in from an acute angle. Wheeler’s first-time strike looked effortless, masking the skill needed to control and direct a ball moving at pace.
Within minutes it was nearly three. Riley’s strike was heading for the top corner before Strahan’s flying fingertip save diverted the ball past the post.
City weren’t giving up, however. While Strahan was pulling off heroics at one end, Fletcher was stubbornly refusing to be beaten at the other. After keeping out City’s top scorer Kacie Anderson with a fine save in the first half, Fletcher once again denied Anderson as she looked to halve the deficit.
As the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark, Service put the tie to bed. While Service captain Hart put in a Player of the Match performance, working tirelessly to keep City at bay, it was Brown who had the first, and indeed the last, say. Her first goal set Service on the road to victory, her second added panache to the result. Collecting the ball 25 yards out, she looked up before elegantly lofting the ball over Strahan into the roof of the net. It was a fitting end to a wonderful advert for the women’s game locally.
Civil Service ladies lift county cup
