Argyle Women travel to AFC Wimbledon on Sunday afternoon, looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions.
After a midweek Devon Derby victory over Exeter City, in front of record-breaking numbers at Home Park, belief and confidence are being taken into the game at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
AFC Bournemouth were beaten by Oxford 1-0 on Wednesday night, but still have games in hand on both Argyle and Watford at the top of the table. This, however, has still shaken up the thoughts of many and opened up the promotion battle that could ensue over the final period of the season.
A return to action for Hermione Cull and excellent performances from many within the squad leaves the Greens in good stead ahead of the clash in the country’s capital.
Head Coach Marie Hourihan said: “There’s a lot of energy from this game that will go into training and put us in a really good position. We are down to the nitty-gritty part of the season now. It’s another game done, against, Exeter and a quick turnaround for the weekend, playing at a nice stadium at Plough Lane, so the players will be excited about that. We need to make sure that these games count now, and we get points.
“We must go into the game and take a bit out of the Exeter game, looking at that first half and making sure that we're probably a little bit more effective, in terms of stretching oppositions that are certainly going to sit in more of a block.
“We need to really evaluate that and ensure we're going into Sunday better and more effective.”
Phoebe Hampson, who opened the scoring for Argyle against their Devon rivals, said: “We definitely now have the confidence heading into the game on Sunday, and, hopefully, this win will give us the energy and intensity we need to go into the next game. Recovery is key for us now, so let’s go and fight for three more points against Wimbledon.”
Wimbledon currently sit in the relegation zone but are very much in a fight for the 11th-place spot in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division. Through 15 games, the Dons have 14 points, having won four games and drawn two, but can leapfrog Gwalia and move out of the bottom two with a victory in their game in hand.
Captain Ashlee Hincks is the attacking threat for the hosts on the weekend, scoring seven goals in the league this season, with Daisy McLachlan second (four goals) and Alisha Buckingham third (two goals) in the stats charts.
Tickets for the match can be purchased via AFC Wimbledon’s ticketing site. Seats cost £8 for adults, whilst Under-18s go free.
