Argyle Women secured safe passage into the third round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Gwalia United, on a mixed afternoon for striker Phoebie Poole.
Poole, who along with team-mates Tianna Teisar and Olivia Francis will join up with the Wales national team this week, scored two goals against Welsh side Gwalia, but was one of several players involved in a fracas late on, and was shown the red card, along with United substitute Bonnie Gready.
The sides were meeting just three weeks after they met at Home Park, in the league, with Argyle winning 5-1 on that occasion. Perhaps in response to that scoreline, Gwalia lined up in a 4-5-1 shape, sitting deep and trying to frustrate their hosts.
For over half an hour, they succeeded. The Greens had virtually all of the possession, but found it tricky to play through their stubborn visitors. Teisar hit one from the edge of the box which struck the crossbar, and Poole blocked a clearance in the area, then fired over the bar, but largely Argyle were finding it frustrating.
That changed on 36 minutes; curiously, the same minute in which the Greens broke the deadlock in their last encounter with Gwalia. Argyle had looked dangerous from set-pieces, and they got joy from a corner, whipped in from the left by Charlotte Whitmore.
Poole got between defenders to meet the cross with a header which evaded the goalkeeper, and a defender could only divert the effort into the roof of the net.
Just a couple of minutes later, Whitmore ran into the area and went down under a challenge, with the referee pointing to the spot. Poole, so reliable from the spot, sent goalkeeper Benedicte Haaland the wrong way, and Argyle had gone from being frustrated at being goalless to being 2-0 up in a matter of three minutes.
In truth, Gwalia rarely looked like creating any significant attacks, and Argyle’s two-goal cushion gave them safety. The Pilgrims lacked flow in the second half, but they did go narrowly wide when Whitmore hit the side-netting, and Ellie Noble curled a free-kick not far wide.
Later, substitute Francis cut inside but went on the outside of the near post with a shot, and Layla Proctor went close with two headers from corners.
Occasionally, Gwalia got forward, but Argyle goalkeeper Hermione Cull was not truly tested, and dealt with anything that came her way with a minimum of fuss.
Late in the game, defender Katie Quick dragged back Teisar, who reacted by pushing her marker away. This prompted players from both sides to get involved, with Poole and Gready adjudged to have been too aggressive with their actions, and both were shown the red card.
The incident provided a bit of a dampener on proceedings, but ultimately Argyle’s goal was to win and advance to round three, and this objective was achieved. The Pilgrims will find out their next opponents when the draw takes place on Monday evening.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor, 7 Charlotte Whitmore (15 Tamara Wilcock, 60), 9 Phoebie Poole, 11 Roisin Kivel (captain), 14 Katie Wilson (16 Ella Stephens, 60), 17 Paris Dalton (23 Olivia Francis, 60), 18 Caitlin Smith, 19 Ellie Noble, 24 Tianna Teisar, 26 Arabella Suttie. Substitutes: 21 Eilish Brogan (gk), 5 Giota Papaioannou, 29 Chloe Ingrouille, 30 Shana Dolbel.
Goals: Poole 36, 39
Red card: Poole 90+3
Attendance: 820
Referee: David Sellars
