Exeter City Women still have a top three league finish firmly in their sights after a 2-1 win against Cheltenham Town in their penultimate home game of the season at St James Park.
Amber Pollock and Maya Kendell found the net for the Grecians, either side of a Doris Greenwood strike for the Robins, who made City work for their victory in front of a good crowd in EX4.
Manager Abbie Britton made four changes from the side that won the Devon Derby last week at Coach Road. Emily Toogood, Beth Ireland, Maya Kendell and Ishbel Zuurmond came into the side to replace Fearne Slocombe, Jess Sandland, Zoe Watkins and Mollie Taylor.
First Half
The Grecians got off to a confident start and could have taken the lead inside three minutes when Zuurmond’s tricky footwork allowed her the chance to get to the byline and stood up the ball for Sarah Stacey, who could only head over from six yards.
Toogood had the opportunity to deliver a dangerous corner into the area after great work from Kendell, as she attempted to pin the ball onto the goalkeeper. She grazed the side netting at the near post.
But Cheltenham are a side not yet safe in the Premier Division and began to show their intentions in the opening stages as they attempted balls down the channels, flashing a couple across the penalty area that those in red and white were able to clear.
The Grecians were being frustrated by the Robins, but were also taking their opportunities to utilise the pace of Kendell and Pollock on the wings to create openings.
Stacey was also finding herself down the left on occasion and when she cut the ball inside to Sophie Gillies, the league’s top scorer saw her effort blocked.
A nice interchange between Gillies and Zuurmond saw the latter dink the ball into the penalty where the outstretched boot of Stacey tried to get a touch ahead of Cheltenham stopper Mia Smith, before the offside flag was raised.
When the breakthrough did come for the Grecians, it came in stunning fashion. Pollock, who had the beating of the Robins right-back throughout the first half, received the ball from Toogood midway inside the Town half a drove forward before unleashing a ferocious effort into the top corner from the edge of the box. On balance, it was justly deserved.
🎥 What a strike from our 2️⃣3️⃣ 🔥
📺 Not at SJP? Watch live ➡️ https://t.co/YBt0kKFywl#ECFC pic.twitter.com/X4C6G2uppN— Exeter City Women FC (@ExeterCityWFC) March 23, 2025
Just three minutes later, Stacey headed wide from Phoebe Baker’s delivery as the Grecians went on the hunt for a second goal.
It certainly wasn’t a half of few chances, and Cheltenham came forward again with another ball flashed across the face of goal. Both Toogood and captain Bow Jackson were needed for their defensive duties, with Toogood and Baker later picking up yellow cards before the break as they were called into action to prevent Cheltenham from causing danger.
Second Half
City would have hoped to go into the second half extending their lead and almost did so when Zuurmond found Pollock who saw her attempt denied by Smith, but were dealt a blow just three minutes into the second period when the Robins found an equaliser through Greenwood.
The Cheltenham forward looked to have had her run halted by Jaydee Seaman after a lofted ball over the top from Una Lue, but she managed to get the better of the City no.4 before rounding Abbi Bond to poke into an empty net from close range.
A shellshocked City initially looked shaky following the equaliser, but were soon back in the groove and working to restore their lead. Moments after Slocombe replaced Ireland, Pollock launched a long throw into the penalty area onto the head of Gillies. The forward nodded the ball backwards into the path of Kendell, who saw her close range effort take a wild deflection to loop over Smith and into the back of the net.
Back Cheltenham came from the restart though, as captain Emily Owen nodded an effort over the crossbar before Seaman was called into action again as she put her body behind a decent effort from Lue, to prevent a certain goal.
Pollock looked determined to bag a brace and she was again denied by Smith, and it could have been three when Slocombe was just centimetres away from converting at the back post following a delightful ball into the box from substitute Jess Sandland.
The Robins were not lying down and Jackson was needed at the last second to stop the one on one after Greenwood latched onto another piercing ball through the City back-line.
With six minutes of added time, the visitors peppered the City box with hopeful deliveries, a corner and a dangerous free-kick, but a resolute defence ensured Britton’s side saw out the game out for another three points.
With second placed Hashtag United defeated by Gwalia United on Sunday, City’s final away game of the season at the Tags in three weeks time could take on extra significance as a battle for second in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier.
Next up, it’s Plymouth Argyle again in the Devon Women’s Premier Cup Final at Coach Road on Wednesday, April 2.
Exeter City take on Hashtag United away on Sunday, April 13 before their final game of the season at St James Park against Watford on Sunday, April 27. Tickets are now on sale and we’d love to see a huge crowd to sign off what has been an excellent debut season in the third tier.
Exeter City: Bond, Jackson (C), Toogood (Sandland 69), Seaman (Everson 89’), Baker (Cunningham), Ireland (Ireland 60), Stacey, Kendell, Zuurmond, Gillies (Watkins 89), Pollock.
Substitutes not used: Giles (GK)
Goals: Pollock 28’, Kendell 61’
Yellow cards: Toogood, Baker
Cheltenham Town: Smith, Hateley, Jones, Attenborough (Collis 70), Bell (Curtis 66), Butcher, Wellesley-Davies, Owen (C), Pemberton, Greenwood, Lue.
Substitutes not used: Pugh-Jones (GK), Trinci, Llewellyn, Ellis, Newns.
Goal: Greenwood 48’
Yellow cards: Bell, Greenwood, Curtis.
Attendance: 851