Argyle picked up an enormous three points in their hunt for promotion on Sunday afternoon, beating AFC Bournemouth 2-1 away from home.
An Una Lue rebound finish, in additional time in the second half, handed the Greens victory over the Cherries, after goals from Phoebie Poole and Kelci Bowers had the game level at the break.
The result keeps Argyle in second place, but extends the gap to six points over Bournemouth, with the Dorset side having two games in hand. Bournemouth have four games remaining, Argyle just two.
For the first time in a while, Head Coach Marie Hourihan made a change to her backline, bringing Caitlin Smith in for the injured Arabella Suttie. Paris Dalton also replaced Tamara Wilcock in the midfield unit, marking the two changes to Argyle’s XI that faced Cheltenham the weekend prior.
Hermione Cull, Ella Stephens, Smith, Katie Wilson, Roisin Kivel, comprised the back four and goalkeeper for the Greens. Dalton and Layla Proctor sat just in front, with Olivia Francis, Ellie Noble, Tianna Teisar and Poole being the attacking output at Ringwood Community Hub.
The sun was out, the fans were in attendance, and the vibe seemed excitable, but on the pitch, a battle was about to ensue.
Argyle started on the front foot, applying immediate pressure to the Bournemouth defensive line, looking to find the opener and send the sizable travelling Green Army into jubilation, but could not create anything dangerous in front of goal through early set pieces.
The first close chance of the game fell to the former Pilgrim in the Cherries’ line-up, Georgia Wilson. Battling in the middle of the pitch fell favourably for Wilson, a quick shift onto her right foot followed, but her effort at goal could only hit the side netting, causing no problems for Cull.
Just before the 20th-minute mark, Argyle’s hard work paid off. Seconds after Bournemouth could have taken the lead themselves, quick play and a superb ball from Kivel picked out Poole running in behind the defensive line of the Cherries.
One-on-one with Katie Scadding, no problem for Poole. A calm, right-footed finish gave Argyle the advantage they deserved, though it did not last long.
Three minutes later, the game was level again, courtesy of Bowers’ headed finish from the edge of the 18-yard box. The flicked attempt at goal somehow looped, like a rainbow, over the whole box, including Cull, and into the back of the net.
The game was full of action, mimicking a basketball match at points, but after the equaliser, it was Bournemouth’s time to go on an attacking run. Chances fell to Amber Treweek and general opportunities in and around the Argyle 18-yard box, but confident defending ended all threats.
In a similar fashion to the opener, Poole found herself sprinting towards goal, latching onto a through ball, one-on-one with Scadding, but the hosts prevailed this time. Pressure from returning defenders and Scadding’s save with her feet stopped the attacking threat.
Argyle should have gone into the break with a lead. Just before the half-time whistle, Proctor struck a free-kick delivery towards goal, forcing a save from Scadding, but the ball fell to the feet of Noble. The prolific midfielder, for once, did not make good contact on her shot, with an open goal, and then Proctor put the follow-up over the bar when a goal seemed more likely.
It was a missed opportunity from Argyle, but one used as fuel over the break, it seemed as Hourihan’s side hunted for the lead immediately after the restart. Kivel found success down the left, but no one in green could turn the ball towards goal in the penalty area as the game further opened up.
After the hour mark, Bournemouth’s tricky forward Sophie Quirk worked her way through the Argyle defence, before getting a curling effort away, hoping to find the far corner. Luckily for Argyle, the effort was wide of the post, but served as a reminder of what still could be coming their way.
The final stages of normal time in the game saw substitutions for both sides, with Hourihan bringing on Phoebe Hampson, Lue and Tamara Wilcock, and a chance that went amiss for Dalton.
The midfielder had a clear opportunity to strike towards goal at the back post, but a mistimed attempt meant Argyle were scrambling to get an effort away at goal and could not do so. It seemed their chance had gone.
Then, two minutes into additional time, the moment came. Wilcock cut inside, shifting the ball to her right, and got a shot away from outside the area, which forced Scadding into a great save, but the rebound fell perfectly for Lue to tap home.
The scenes? Unreal. Bodies running around, celebrations ongoing. Elation.
Argyle walked away from Bournemouth with three points, setting up an intense FAWNL Cup final battle between the sides, in the country’s capital, next weekend.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor, 9 Phoebie Poole (15 Tamara Wilcock, 90+1), 11 Roisin Kivel (capt), 14 Katie Wilson, 16 Ella Stephens (3 Phoebe Hampson, 65), 17 Paris Dalton (2 Una Lue, 89), 18 Caitlin Smith, 19 Ellie Noble, 23 Olivia Francis, 24 Tianna Teisar. Substitutes: 33 Ella Stowell (gk), 5 Giota Papaioannou, 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 29 Chloe Ingrouille.
Goals: Poole 18, Lue 90+2.
Yellow cards: Francis 38, Stephens 60.
AFC Bournemouth: 1 Katie Scadding, 4 Jessica Hennessy, 7 Kenni Thompson (5 Sophia Leonard, 85), 9 Georgia Wilson, 12 Sophie Quirk, 14 Katie James (capt) (8 Phoebe Williams, 82), 15 Elena Cole (10 Molly Barron-Clark, 71), 22 Jenna Markham, 24 Kelci Bowers, 27 Amber Treweek, 28 Charlotte Harris. Substitutes:13 Erin Foley (gk), 6 Freya Meadows Tuson, 11 Gemma McGuinness, 19 Zoe Barratt.
Goal: Bowers 22.
Yellow card: James 53.
