Gwalia United return to league action on Thursday evening when they welcome Bristol Rovers to the USW Sport Park for a night under the lights.
The 7:45pm kick-off is the first of two meetings between the sides in the space of four days, with the teams set to face each other again on Sunday in the FA Women’s National League Plate.
Gwalia will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games against Nathan Hallett-Young’s Rovers, who sit fifth in the FA Women’s National League South West table, just one place and one point behind the hosts.
Both sides progressed to the second round of the Women’s FA Cup at the weekend. Gwalia saw off Yate Town 5-0, while Rovers won 6-0 away at fellow FAWNL Division One South West side Abingdon United.
In the league, Gwalia won 3-1 at Maidenhead United last time out to extend their unbeaten league run to three games. Rovers, who had been on a three-match unbeaten league run of their own, lost 3-2 at home to Keynsham Town.
Forward Daisy Ackerman is in a rich vein of form, having scored in each of her last five games, a Gwalia United record. She will no doubt relish the chance to face her former side, as will the likes of defender Katie Davies.
Gwalia manager Cori Williams-Mills believes the back-to-back fixtures add spice to the occasion.
“This fixture has an extra edge: a Severn Bridge Derby of sorts. In a remarkable turn of fate, we’ll meet Bristol Rovers again on Sunday, this time in the Plate competition. Two games against the same opponents in three days is quite a prospect, and we know both sides will be eager to make the most of the occasion.
For now, our focus is on bringing the commitment and energy that have served us so well in recent weeks. We want the players to enjoy the occasion, compete for every ball and show what they can do.”
Head-to-head
The last meeting between the sides in south Wales came in August 2024, when Gwalia won 2-0 in the FA Women’s National League Cup, with goals from Cerys Jones and Thierry-jo Gauvain at Newport Stadium.
Match officials
Referee Anthony Blatchford is no stranger to Gwalia, having last officiated the home FAWNL Cup defeat by Kidderminster Harriers in September. He will be assisted by Brian Bishop and Amith Gunarathna Maha Vidanage.
Getting here
If you are coming to the USW Sport Park for the first time, make sure you read our Visiting Fans Guide for all the information you need to plan your day.
Tickets
Tickets are priced at £6 for adults, £3 for over-65s and £2 for under-16s, and are available via the Gwalia United ticketing website.
Matchday programme
Read our digital matchday programme for the game, packed with team news, player features, match reports and everything else you need to know.
