Report | Billericay Town 1 Argyle Women 1
Argyle 1
Dickson pen 78
Billericay 1
Biggs 45+1
Argyle Women rescued a point in their penultimate FA Women’s National League fixture of the season at Billericay Town on Sunday.
The hosts were the first to find the net through striker Maddie Biggs' volleyed effort inside the 18-yard box before the break.
Although incredibly fatigued from their previous match that occurred two days earlier, the Greens battled hard and found their equaliser through Katie Dickson’s penalty in the 76th minute.
The match began with Billericay, who had early chances in the Argyle area, but failed to find a way past the wall of Argyle shirts that threw themselves in front of every ball struck goalwards.
Argyle gradually began to cause concern for the home side down the right wing with crosses into the area from Katie Dickson and runs from Fern Orchard but were kept at bay.
The visitors continued to fashion out chances as the half went on, with forward Charlotte Whitmore being the first to force Blues keeper Alex Baker into a save from a curling effort.
As the half came to its end, Billericay fought for a few extra chances on goal and in the first minute of injury time broke the deadlock, Biggs seizing an opportunity to strike the ball into the top right corner on the bounce, securing her team the upper hand going into the second period.
Argyle manager Ryan Perks made his only available change as the game restarted, switching Georgie Knott for Taya Pomfret as the Greens searched for a way back into the match. Whitmore continued to cause concern for the Billericay backline and, in the 50th minute, almost diverted a clearance from Baker into the back of her net, but the ball bounced past the far post.
The Greens worked hard and continued to charge forward at every available opportunity. Midfielder Imy Crawford and Whitmore both created great chances, the former’s well-weighted ball into the area was snuffed out by Baker's run off her line before Whitmore’s low-driven cross to Dickson proved too powerful for the versatile midfielder to divert goalwards.
As Argyle’s bombardment continued in the 77th minute, the Blues’ defence lost possession inside their penalty area, resulting in Whitmore being brought down. With usual penalty taker Ellie Sara unavailable, it was Dickson who stepped up to the spot and blasted the ball past the dive of Baker into the bottom left corner.
Frustrated by the loss of their lead, Billericay began to come alive again and began to make inroads in the Argyle third. Forward Biggs searched for her second of the match and came close on two occasions, but it was the palms and clever decision-making of Lily Felgate that stopped the striker from adding to her tally.
Argyle had one final opportunity to snatch the win from the home side through a corner in injury time. Dickson’s delivery flew towards the near post and found the foot of O’Shea, who struck the ball first time towards the net, but Baker palmed the shot off the line.
The Pilgrims’ valiant efforts mean they remain eighth in the league with one final match to play on Sunday, 5 May, when they take on MK Dons in the finale of the FAWNL Southern Premier Division season.
Argyle: 42 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson, 5 Panagiota Papaioannou, 6 Lucy Hack, 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 8 Imy Crawford, 13 Grace Smith, 18 Taya Pomfret (15 Georgie Knott), 19 Erin O’Shea, 20 Fern Orchard, 28 Amii Kearley.
Booked: Pomfret 11, Papaioannou 33
