Argyle Women extended their unbeaten record at Home Park and moved up to third in the table with a confident 5-1 victory over Gwalia United on Sunday.
A Charlotte Whitmore brace followed goals from Tamara Wilcock, Tianna Teisar and Ellie Noble, and moved the Pilgrims ahead of Real Bedford in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division standings.
The game plan from the Greens was easy to understand from the get-go – attack, attack, attack, and it was clearly on show. Tidy team football was visible to all, moving the ball and playing forward, but Marie Hourihan’s side had nothing to show for it through the first quarter of an hour if you looked at shots on goal.
Katie Wilson was shown a yellow card early on, for dragging back forward Eliza Collie, but the defender’s performance for the remainder of the tie was outstanding and disciplined.
For the next 15 minutes, Argyle had chances in front of goal through Phoebie Poole and Noble, but neither player could find the important strike to take the lead, with the pressure continuing to mount on the Welsh visitors.
Then, the Greens broke the deadlock. 36 minutes in, several back-to-back-to-back attacking phases presented Wilcock with the opportunity to strike towards goal from inside the area, and she did so confidently, scoring her first for Argyle since joining in the summer. A blocked effort from Noble bounced perfectly in front of the Argyle number 15, allowing her to half-volley the ball home through a crowd of bodies and take the lead in PL2.
Teisar came close to adding a second just minutes before the break, but had to watch her effort strike the crossbar and go out of play for a goal kick after driving towards goal, causing issues for the Gwalia backline.
After half-time, Argyle’s attacking pressure furthered with Teisar and Noble adding a second and third goal before the 70th minute.
The visitors did well to initially block shots at goal from Whitmore and Poole, one being off the goal line, but the looping deflection was directed perfectly to Teisar at the back post to head home, doubling the Greens’ lead.
As for Noble’s goal, the midfielder picked up the ball from Wilcock, shifted possession onto her left foot, and comfortably placed the effort into the far corner of the goal, keeping Gwalia’s goalkeeper, Benedicte Haaland, rooted to the spot in the process.
The Welsh side did get a goal back through Casi Gregson, after the forward stole the ball from Caitlin Smith and found the back of the net but, in the final 10 minutes of the game, Whitmore’s brace sealed the deal.
The first came with a slotted finish through the legs of the onrushing Haaland, and the second with a superb, guided finish across goal into the far corner.
After the celebrations died down, a few minutes went by before referee Abigail Freullet blew for full-time and Argyle claimed three points at Home Park, once again.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor, 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 9 Phoebie Poole (23 Olivia Francis, 70), 11 Roisin Kivel (capt), 14 Katie Wilson, 15 Tamara Wilcock (30 Shana Dolbel, 90), 18 Caitlin Smith, 19 Ellie Noble (17 Paris Dalton, 81), 24 Tianna Teisar (16 Ella Stephens, 70), 25 Arabella Suttie. Substitites: 21 Eilish Brogan (gk), 5 Giota Papaioannou, 29 Chloe Ingrouille.
Goals: Wilcock 36, Teisar 54, Noble 67, Whitmore 83, 88
