Argyle Women’s start to 2026 FAWNL Southern Premier Division action did not start the way they had hoped against Watford.
However, after two strong performances and victories, in different competitions, against Lewes and Marine Academy Plymouth, the belief is back in PL2.
Head Coach Marie Hourihan craved a reaction in the Greens’ match against Lewes in the quarter-final of the FAWNL Cup, and that is exactly what happened, in a comfortable and confident 3-0 victory on the South Coast.
Add a five-goal win and clean sheet in the opening match of the County Cup, with a much-changed side, and Argyle now believe that this weekend can be the return to winning ways in the league against a struggling Billericay Town side.
9-0 was the score in the reverse fixture at Home Park, but Hourihan has made it clear that there will be no complacency in her side this weekend in Essex, and a performance must be achieved at the New Lodge against an improved Blues side.
“We’re all looking forward to getting back into league action,” Hourihan told Argyle TV. “We’ve had County Cup and League Cup matches in between, so we’re ready to get back on the road again and prepare for another test.
“It is the first league game since Watford, and I think it gives us a chance to find our feet again, in terms of keeping up with the pack, and make sure that our performance levels continue into the next league game.
“We can’t be complacent - absolutely not. I've watched their last three games, and you can see significant improvements in them. They’re at home as well, and it is an AstroTurf pitch, so you've got some different conditions there as well to what we’re normally used to here at Home Park.
“Our approach to games never changes, though. I think the most important thing is us establishing ourselves in the game early on and making sure that we are really clinical in the moments, because I think recently - certainly the last two games - we've been a lot better, but that is something that we consistently need to keep working and improving on.
“On Sunday, for me, it's about consistency and our rhythm when we're creating opportunities. We need to ensure that we are clinical and have the right mindset.
“We're coming into the business end of the season, as people like to call it, and we need to make sure that we are at it week-in week-out to keep pace with the top two.”
