Argyle Women started the season in fine fashion on Sunday afternoon, picking up three points with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Hashtag United at Home Park.
Goals from Paris Dalton, Charlotte Whitmore and Phoebie Poole in the first half secured a comfortable win for Argyle in their opening FAWNL Southern Premier Division season.
Marie Hourihan’s first competitive fixture for the Greens ended in success, much to the happiness of the Head Coach.
“The priority for me today, coming into the first game, was to have more emphasis on the performance and bringing over that consistency from pre-season into now,” she told Argyle TV. “The first five to 10 minutes, I think the occasion and it being the first game of the season made it a little bit hectic. Once we scored the first goal and really settled into our game, those 30 minutes to the end of the first half, I thought we were fantastic.
“We scored three goals, but if I'm being really critical, we probably could have scored four or five! I think that's something we have to take away. When we're in those moments, we must be clinical.
“I thought we switched the play well, and the second half was about managing it and not allowing them to get any momentum in the game, which I thought we did. It’s a great starting point for us going into a three-game week.
“One thing that I've been really emphasising is that, since I’ve come in, is that we’re not going to sit back. We are going to be aggressive in how we press, and I think we certainly have the player capabilities to do that. Today worked with really good effect, so now it's going to be about refining that because there are some big challenges that are coming ahead.
“We need to make sure that we still put ourselves in those positions and we get our organisation right behind the ball, but as I said, I thought today we were excellent at it.
“One thing that's hit me since coming in is about that real passion from the Green Army. Whether it's the men's team, the women's team, or the academy team, they all support Plymouth Argyle. Hopefully, today they’ve seen an exciting game and have been entertained, and they'll come back again when we return here to play Billericay Town.”
Despite the joy and elation of winning the opening tie of the campaign, Hourihan highlights the importance of focusing on upcoming encounters and continuing to build upon a positive defensive and attacking 90 minutes.
She said: “It's just game one of 22. It’s fantastic to get the points on the board, but the priority is maintaining that consistency because we know it's a long season. How we played today should breed confidence, but we need to continue what we're doing, working as we are, and make sure that we're coming into games with our correct set-up.
“Clean sheets are our standard now. As a group, that's something that we are conscious of, and we've worked hard on. When we're on the ball, we want to be front footed and expansive, but when we are not, we need to be aggressive but organised.
“I thought the girls managed it really well, and also we know that opposition teams must get past a very good goalkeeper as well. Hermione [Cull] only made one save, but that was in the 89th minute, which shows the importance that players have and the roles that they play within the team. It’s a real bonus for us now, going into the game against MAP on Thursday, that we've managed to keep that clean sheet.”
Two of Argyle’s summer signings, Dalton and Poole, were on the scoresheet against the Essex side and provided a constant threat for the Greens against a worried Hashtag defensive line.
Hourihan was delighted with their goal contributions on Sunday afternoon, but also credited all of Argyle’s additions and returnees as key components to victory.
“Certainly, for the first goal, Paris showed great appetite and intent to go and win the ball back and got rewarded,” Hourihan said. “You always want your number nine to get off to a good start, so for Phoebe to score that goal, hopefully that settles her and means she's well on the road now.
“I think I could probably pick out five or six certain players that were real standouts today. I thought in the midfield, Layla and Imy were fantastic in their duels and picking up second balls; their positioning was very good.
“The back line and goalkeeper kept a clean sheet, as I alluded to already, but also in possession, they gave us a really solid foundation to work from. It's pleasing that those players who have come in are really developing those relationships, and we are certainly seeing the fruits of that in today's performance.”
