Three is the magic number for Gas Girls at the Mem

By the beaming smile on Georgia Vandries’ face, it was clear to see that she had made the right decision returning to the Gas Girls from a season spent at Forest Green Rovers.

Back in blue and white quarters, Vandries scored Rovers’ second goal as they ran out 3-1 winners in a historic evening at the Memorial Stadium.

This game was a double-header with the corresponding men’s fixture, with around 2,000 fans staying to watch their second 90 minutes of the day, a good number encouraged by alcohol being allowed to be taken into the stands.

Briony Lomas saved a penalty after coming on as a substitute, with Rosanna Rocha also making an an immediate impact after coming on in the second half.

Annys Turner scored first for the home side having been set up by a cheeky Rocha backheel – her second assist of the night – with the Portuguese striker scoring the third with a trademark thunderbolt from outside the box.

The match was billed as a friendly celebrating Her Game Too – but it was marred by what looked like a serious injury to Gas Girls captain Libby Bell on the stroke of regulation time, with a Forest Green player also being sent off after receiving two yellow cards.

“We’re going to score in a minute,” Rovers fans in the Thatchers End sang, having watched almost three hours of football without either of their teams finding the net.

But then the Gas Girls hit their stride, with victory against the visitors from the Cotswolds a taste of what Rovers will face in English football’s fifth tier as they continue their rise up the national pyramid.

Katie Davies put in a player of the match performance at left wing-back, with Anna Hubble and Poppy Warren also impressing in defence, and Laura Curnock unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

Forest Green will be among the Gas Girls’ opponents next season in the South West Regional league, which Rovers have reached following back to back promotions since being re-founded in 2019.

Speaking to Bristol24/7 after the match, Rocha said that she was “so happy” and has never celebrated a goal with quite so much emotion.

“Just to fall on that surface and celebrate it with all the other players was amazing, just a really amazing experience.”

Playing at the Memorial Stadium “is something you can never imagine, you just have to experience it, and talking about myself and my colleagues we just felt the warmth of all the fans and we hope we can play here again”.

Rosanna Rocha celebrating her goal – photo: Rich Buchanan

For Gas Girls manager Nathan Hallett-Young, it has been some journey to take his charges from a pitch bumpier than some cabbage patches for the newly reformed Gas Girls’ very first game against Abbeymead Rovers in September 2019 to playing on the carpet of the Mem.

He said: “I’m just buzzing for the girls that they have had this opportunity to play in front of the Rovers fanbase, score at the Thatchers End and play on a surface like that…

“We wanted to put on a showcase, to say that women’s football is here, it’s here to stay, and it’s developing and growing rapidly.

“There’s no better way of celebrating this Her Game Too day than with a brilliant result for us in front of a large crowd.”

Here are some matchday photos by Rich Buchanan:

Main photo: JMP

Read more: Gas Girls celebrate promotion in style

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