Argyle Women extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven games on Sunday afternoon, with a polished victory over Cheltenham Town.
Goals from Charlotte Whitmore and Phoebie Poole, either side of the half-time break, the Greens three points in a 2-0 win at Kayte Lane, which took place in varying conditions.
The Greens hold third place in the league table, ahead of a clash with leaders AFC Bournemouth at Home Park next weekend. The Cherries beat Lewes 2-1 thanks to a last-minute winner.
Within minutes of kick-off on the 3G pitch at Bishops Cleeve, both Argyle and Cheltenham knew how the swirling wind might have an effect on the game, but it was Argyle who looked dangerous in front of goal quickly.
In the opening exchanges, the Greens had four chances to take the lead, but could not convert any.
In separate incidents, Layla Proctor and Poole both found themselves open in the Cheltenham 18-yard box, but neither could guide their headers on target and had to watch the ball run wide and out of play for a goal kick.
Tianna Teisar came close, charging down a clearance from the host’s goalkeeper Charlotte Haynes. Despite picking up the ball in the six-yard box, the angle was not in favour of the on-loan forward, with Teisar’s strike rolling into the side of the goal, off the pitch.
The continued pressure won Argyle a corner, with a superb Whitmore delivery finding an oncoming Katie Wilson. Tight defending from Cheltenham made it tough for the defender to get strong contact on the ball, and she had to settle for a knee strike towards goal, which flew over the bar.
For the remainder of the first half an hour, the affair slowed down and neither side created much in the opposition’s final thirds as a possession battle in the middle of the pitch ensued.
In the 35th minute, Argyle had the ball in the back of the net. A short-corner routine between Teisar and Caitlin Smith ended with the strike from the latter, which curled into the far corner, but jubilation soon tailed off, as an offside flag was raised.
Fortunately, though, the ruling out of that goal did not matter, as Argyle broke the deadlock right on half-time. A long ball over the Cheltenham defence found Whitmore, who charged into the box, cut onto her right foot and fired home powerfully. This time is was Cheltenham’s turn to query whether it was offside, but this goal was allowed to stand.
After the break, Marie Hourihan’s side played tidy football in a very professional and confident way, breaking down pressure from Cheltenham and creating chances in and around the 18-yard box.
Just before the hour mark, one became two. A surging run from Teisar forced the hosts into swinging legs at the forward to try and win the ball, but they were unsuccessful, giving away a penalty in the process, which Poole confidently converted, low to the goalkeeper’s right.
The final half an hour played out very similarly to the middle stages of the first, with neither side creating any clear-cut opportunities to test the opposition goalkeeper, allowing Argyle to hold onto their two-goal lead and claim all three points in Gloucestershire.
Cheltenham Town: 1 Charlotte Haynes, 3 Charlotte Salisbur-Williams, 5 Courtney Jones, 6 Casi Evans, 7 Amelie Curtis, 8 Megan Arnott, 9 Bella Hall, 10 Libby Bell (2 Anais Trinci, 72), 13 Ffion Llewellyn, 15 Emily Owen (capt), 20 Izzy Newns (16 Louise Guymira, 53). Substitutes: 17 Karly Norman, 22 Anaya Brady, 23 Freya Boucher.
Yellow cards: Bell 64, Evans 70.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor (8 Imy Crawford, 89), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 9 Phoebie Poole (17 Paris Dalton, 85), 11 Roisin Kivel (capt), 14 Katie Wilson, 18 Caitlin Smith, 19 Ellie Noble, 23 Olivia Francis (16 Ella Stephens, 67), 24 Tianna Teisar, 26 Arabella Suttie. Substitutes: 21 Eilish Brogan (gk), 2 Katie Dickson, 5 Giota Papaioannou.
Goals: Whitmore 45+1, Poole 59.
Yellow cards: Suttie 85, Teisar 90+4.
