Argyle Women are through to the final of the FAWNL Cup, after producing a superb all-round performance to beat Burnley 4-1 at Home Park.
Burnley came into the game as the unbeaten league leaders in the Northern Premier Division. In fact, the only team to beat them in any competitive football this season – before they visited Devon – was Manchester United, who are second in the WSL.
When they led on 13 minutes via Millie Ravening’s long, long range, they probably thought that run would continue, and they would book themselves in the final, which takes place at Loftus Road at the end of March.
However, Tianna Teisar scored just before half-time, reward for Argyle’s endeavour, and the Greens took it up a notch after the break. Phoebie Poole scored a penalty, earned by Teisar, before Teisar added a third. This would have been enough, but Poole scored deep into injury-time to produce a glorious flourish to a wonderful afternoon.
The Greens will have to wait to find out their opponent in the battle for silverware, as West Bromwich Albion v Bournemouth was postponed. But Marie Hourihan’s Greens can rightly celebrate for a day or two, before focus goes back to their promotion charge in the league.
Going into the game, Hourihan made just one change to her side that faced Billericay Town the week before, and it was an enforced one. Una Lue missed out on the semi-final tie due to being cup-tied, as the forward had previously made an appearance for Cheltenham Town before joining Argyle in December.
Goalkeeper Hermione Cull commanded the Greens’ defence of Ella Stephens, Arabella Suttie, Katie Wilson and Roisin Kivel, with Ellie Noble and Layla Proctor sitting just in front. Argyle’s attacking threat came from Poole up front, supported by the trio of Olivia Francis, Tamara Wilcock and Teisar.
The game started very much in favour of the visiting side, with Burnley having the majority of possession, creating chances in and around the area.
In the 13th minute, a moment of magic from the Clarets handed them the lead. It came from Ravening – a former team-mate of Suttie, Kivel and Wilcock, under Hourihan’s charge, at Stoke City, who beat Argyle at this stage last season. Now back with Burnley, Ravening’s strike from 40 yards out caught Cull off her line, with the Argyle goalkeeper backtracking and not being able to keep the ball out of the back of the net. It was a superb effort, though, by the Burnley number 10.
Burnley looked to turn the screw, and for a few minutes looked as though they would, but Argyle stuck to their task, and gradually began to turn the tide. The longer the half went on, the more Argyle created chances of their own, usually through their hassling of Burnley’s backline.
Defensive work was still needed through, with a key header from Kivel at the back post stopping Emma Siddall from having a chance at doubling Burnley’s lead.
Seconds before half-time, Argyle were back in the tie in a big way. The Greens caught Burnley on the ball and, several deflections in the area later, it dropped to the feet of Teisar, with a tidy finish following.
A no-doubt motivating talk from Hourihan seemed to work its magic within the Argyle squad as, within five minutes of the restart, Poole had scored her first of the game, from the spot.
Argyle had a free-kick in their own half, which Francis took quickly, releasing Teisar. The latter was fouled in the box as she drove towards goal; after what seemed an eternity, the Greens’ number nine Poole stepped up and converted after the referee’s whistle.
Two minutes later, the ball again was in the back of the net, this time through Teisar, but the offside flag was raised. Poole had driven forward towards the goal, and could well have slipped her compatriot in earlier, but left it too late and all fans were thinking what could have been.
The game was not all Argyle. Burnley hit the post through a Jasmine Matthews hooked shot, but Hourihan’s side continued to visibly frustrate the visitors, restricting their chances, whilst simultaneously breaking them down further.
The Clarets’ captain, Yana Daniels, was shown a yellow card for dissent and sent to the sin bin, and this proved costly. Without their captain in the heart of their midfield, Burnley left space. Wilcock seized on it, bringing Argyle up the field. Noble attempted a long-range effort at goal, which was saved initially by Kirstie Levell, but a sprinting Teisar followed up the effort well and was able to score the rebound finish, before being mobbed by her teammates.
Argyle’s defensive efforts, game management and belief were unbelievable in the final 20 minutes of the game, and with the clock ticking down to full-time, the Green Army’s support grew louder and louder.
In the 95th minute, with the game already won, Poole raced away added a fourth to secure Argyle’s spot in the final two of the FA Women’s National League Cup.
London is calling. Loftus Road, see you in March.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor, 9 Phoebie Poole, 11 Roisin Kivel (capt), 14 Katie Wilson, 15 Tamara Wilcock (17 Paris Dalton, 84), 16 Ella Stephens, 19 Ellie Noble, 23 Olivia Francis, 24 Tianna Teisar, 26 Arabella Suttie. Substitutes: 21 Eilish Brogan (gk), 5 Giota Papaioannou, (7 Charlotte Whitmore, 29 Chloe Ingrouille, 30 Shana Dolbel.
Goals: Tesiar 45+2, 69, Poole 51, 90+5.
Yellow Cards: Suttie 16, Kivel 73.
Burnley: 28 Kirstie Levell, 2 Charley Docherty (7 Heidi Logan, 73), 3 Emma Siddall (4 Brenna McPartlan, 85), 6 Jasmine Matthews, 9 Claudia Mummery-Walker, 10 Millie Ravening, 13 Jade Richards, 17 Millie Chandrana (18 Louise McDaniel, 85), 19 Charlie Chadwick (11 Danielle Maxwell, 73), 20 Yana Daniels (capt) (25 Aimee Kelly, 85), 22 Alethea Paul. Substitutes: 27 Naoisha McAloon (GK), 24 Tilly Wilkes.
Goal: Ravening 13.
Yellow Cards: Daniels 68, Matthews 90+4.
Attendance: 931.
Referee: Ella Karkoska.
