Argyle Women’s first home game of the season ended in defeat, as AFC Wimbledon won 6-0 at Home Park.
The Greens nearly got off to a perfect start for the second week running. From the kick-off, the Pilgrims attacked, and within a minute Shana Dolbel had fired in a shot on target, which was well saved.
Had Argyle got in front, who knows if it would have altered the course of the afternoon significantly. However, it was Wimbledon who took the lead, on ten minutes. Ellei Dorey, a player who scored an equaliser late on at Home Park last season to break green hearts, got the goalscoring under way this time round.
On 27 minutes, it was two, with Emily Brown scoring a superb goal, cutting in from the left and firing home from distance.
In the second half, the visitors extended their lead. Full-back Rosie Russell’s first strike made it 3-0, with Frida Ayisi getting clean through and clipping home to make it four shortly afterwards.
Dorey made it five on 65 minutes, however, with the game well and truly in the bag, Wimbledon did not cover themselves in glory with their sixth goal. Argyle suffered an injury to captain Ellie M Bishop, and the referee asked goalkeeper Olivia Giles to kick the ball out of play to allow some treatment.
Wimbledon, though, took the throw-in and did not return the ball to Argyle, instead instigating an attack, and scoring through Ayisi once more.
“I’m obviously disappointed with the result,” said Argyle Head Coach Matt Green. “Wimbledon are a physical side, we knew that, with pace and power on the top line.
“I can’t really fault the effort of our team, but it highlights where we are in our development in this league. This is a high level. Our hard work will continue, and we have a game on Wednesday against MAP at Foulston Park, in the League Cup. It’s an opportunity to look to bounce back, in another game, on another day.”
Argyle: 1 Olivia Giles, 4 Aliyat Lambe, 5 Ellie M Bishop (capt, 26 Mia Burrows, 78), 9 Laura Curnock (30 Lily Coaker, 89), 14 Shana Dolbel, 15 Kiesha Walker, 16 Sienna Gilbert (17 Kennedy Garside, 62), 18 Farrah Ambrose, 21 Chloe Ingrouille, 24 Ellie J Bishop (20 Ciara Magee, 58), 25 Khloe Reed (23 Phoebe Bettey, 83).