County Cup Final Report: Argyle Women 1 Exeter City 2
Argyle 1
Sara pen 70
Exeter City 2
Watkins 10, Gillies 47
Argyle fell at the last hurdle in the final of the A&S Interiors Devon Women’s Premier County Cup, losing 2-1 to Exeter City.
The Grecians led 1-0 at half-time, through a Zoe Watkins penalty after 10 minutes, and doubled it moments after the restart, when Sophie Gillies headed in. Argyle had a penalty of their own, converted by Ellie Sara, but could not find the equaliser they craved.
Argyle’s first chance came within the first 40 seconds of the game, when City goalkeeper Abbi Bond, trying to play patiently from the back, simply presented the ball to Ellie Sara. Sara held off a defender and got a shot on target, but Bond had recovered sufficiently to catch it.
After an initially dominant start by Argyle, Exeter grew into the game, and were given a penalty when Lucy Hack halted Amber Pollock’s run, right on the edge of the area. The referee deemed the challenge to be inside the box, and pointed to the spot. Watkins struck firm and low into the corner, and the Grecians had the lead on ten minutes.
City ought to have had a second just four minutes later. Gillies got between defenders, and took a shot which beat Lily Felgate. The ball, though, struck the post and rolled across the front of the Argyle goalmouth, staying the right side as far as Argyle were concerned.
Argyle took time to get rolling, the staccato nature of the game suiting Exeter, who looked prey on congested midfields then look to the break. The longer the half went on, the more settled Argyle become, and in the concluding minutes of the first period, forced a series of free-kicks which Exeter admirably resisted.
It was from a set-piece of their own that City doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart.
A free-kick from deep was lofted into the area, with Gillies getting under it and steered home with a delicate header.
Ryan Perks made changes, bringing on Jade Berrow and Fern Orchard, and it was from a Berrow burst that Argyle got a lifeline into the game. Berrow earned a corner, Argyle worked it back to Imy Crawford, and her cross was blocked by the arm of Mollie Taylor.
Sara took the penalty, placed it very nicely in the bottom-right corner, and the Greens had halved the deficit.
Argyle pushed for their equaliser, and through superb persistence by Sara, engineered a chance for Orchard, which Exeter did superbly to quell. Seconds afterwards, Berrow fired wide, with a deflection, and Papaioannou headed the corner not far off target.
The game was now very open, and Exeter had a chance to extend their lead again when substitute Jenna Markham whipped a well-hit effort narrowly over.
As Argyle threw much needed bodies forward, so Exeter looked to capitalise on the space this left. Markham had another pair of chances, one off target, one stopped by a superb save by Felgate.
Argyle gave it everything to level up, and had one final chance in stoppage time. Whitmore was fouled on the right, and the free-kick was clipped in to Jemma Rose, who headed on target, but saw her effort saved by Bond.
It was the final chance of the game, meaning Exeter were crowned Devon champions. For Argyle, there is little time to cogitate on the result – the Pilgrims are on the road on Saturday, for an away game at Billericay on Sunday.
Argyle: 42 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson (11 Jade Berrow 54), 4 Jemma Rose, 5 Panagiota Papaioannou (capt), 6 Lucy Hack (19 Erin O’Shea, 88), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 8 Imy Crawford, 9 Ellie Sara, 15 Georgie Knott (20 Fern Orchard, 63), 18 Taya Pomfret, 29 Mia Endacott. Substitutes: 1 Jasmine Read (gk), 13 Grace Smith
Booked: Hack 9, Endacott 20.
Exeter City: 1 Abbi Bond, 5 Manfy Sharpe (capt), 8 Beth Ireland, 12 Katie Grigg, 14 Georgie Barbour-Gresham, 15 Ishbel Zuurmond (9 Jenna Markham 57), 16 Zoe Watkins (17 Zoe Cunningham 75), 18 Connie Pengelly (7 Phoebe Baker, 58), 19 Mollie Taylor, 21 Sophie Gillies (6 Jess Sandland, 75), 23 Amber Pollock (10 Sarah Stacey 58). Substitutes:
Booked: Zuurmond 39, Sharpe 52, Markham 66.
