Argyle Women ended their FAWNL Cup Group Stages with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Bristol Rovers away from home on Sunday afternoon.
Katie Wilson’s first-half free-kick was followed by goals from Katie Dickson, Tianna Teisar, Giota Papaioannou, and an Olivia Francis brace, to hand the Greens victory in Yate.
The three points for Marie Hourihan’s side mean they win Group A, and progress into the draw for the knockout stages of the competition.
In the opening half of the tie, Argyle had the majority of the possession but struggled to break down the Gas defensive line. Dickson came close early on through a volley inside the area, but her well-connected strike flew over the bar and out for a goal kick.
The hosts had a chance of their own just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark, through Nia Rees, but the attacking midfielder’s shot lacked power and fell easily into the hands of Hermione Cull.
Phoebie Poole had a chance to volley home 20 minutes into the game, but it was a tough opportunity. Wilson’s ball into the box was whipped with pace, leaving Poole stretching to try and cleanly connect, which she was unable to do, and had to watch the ball run off her boot and away from goal.
In the 36th minute, Argyle broke the deadlock. Ella Stephens won the visitors a free-kick on the right flank, near the 18-yard box, giving Wilson the opportunity to test George Hunt in the Rovers goal – and that’s exactly what she did.
The left-footed curling effort looped over the Gas number one and into the back of the net, sending the whole Argyle squad into jubilation and, potentially, relief.
The second-half performance for the Pilgrims was vastly different from the first, with Argyle looking like a completely rejuvenated side after the break.
Three minutes after the restart, Dickson doubled the lead. Wilson's whipped ball into the box was controlled excellently by Poole, who set up the Argyle number two to strike home, with a deflection taking it past Hunt.
The confidence within the squad continued to grow as the minutes ticked by, and just two minutes later, Argyle were awarded a penalty after Charlotte Whitmore was fouled inside the area during a charge towards goal.
Poole’s penalty hit the woodwork and bounced back into play, but Teisar, arriving in the area, beat the Rovers’ defence to the ball and tapped home.
Both sides turned to their bench, but Argyle continued to apply attacking pressure and found a fourth through captain Papaioannou. Whitmore sent a free-kick delivery towards the back post from the left perfectly onto the head of an open Papaioannou, who confidently headed the ball into the back of the net.
In the 80th minute, Hourihan turned to her bench for the final time, bringing on 17-year-old Chloe Ingrouille to make her first-team debut.
In the final stages of the game, four turned to six thanks to substitute Francis. Both goals came inside the Rovers’ 18-yard box, with the first being a slotted strike after collecting the ball from Paris Dalton and the latter being a confident finish, rounding the keeper and placing the ball into an open net.
Argyle now wait to find out their opponents for the knockout stages, with the draw taking place at 7.15pm on Monday, 29 September.
Bristol Rovers: 1 George Hunt, 2 Layah Douglas, 3 Abbey Hateley, 4 Maisy Collis, 5 Laura Barrett, 8 Ella Pemberton (16 Annys Turner, 57), 10 Nia Rees (34 Amelie Gould, 65), 14 TJ Gauvain, 15 Charlotte Buxton (21 Ruby Scahill, 49), 17 Rianne Bourne-Hallett (capt), 18 Erin Bloomfield (9 Meg Jarvis, 57). Substitute: 28 Em Bayliss.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 2 Katie Dickson (19 Ellie Noble, 72), 5 Giota Papaioannou, 6 Layla Proctor (8 Imy Crawford, 62), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 9 Phoebie Poole (23 Olivia Francis, 72), 14 Katie Wilson (29 Chloe Ingrouille, 80), 16 Ella Stephens (18 Caitlin Smith, 62), 17 Paris Dalton, 24 Tianna Teisar, 26 Arabella Suttie. Substitute: 21 Eilish Brogan.
Goals: Wilson 36, Dickon 48, Teisar 53, Papaioannou 74, Francis 82, 90+1
Booked: Crawford 80
Referee: Lucia Ramos
