Argyle secured their place in the semi-final of the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday afternoon, with an outstanding 3-0 victory over Lewes.
Phoebie Poole’s brace and a Tianna Teisar second-half goal, alongside a comprehensive defensive performance, propelled the Greens into the final four of the competition in horrendous conditions at The Dripping Pan.
Head Coach Marie Hourihan was forced into one change from her side that faced Watford the week prior, with Una Lue having to be removed from the line-up due to being cup-tied. Tamara Wilcock took her place in the starting XI, with Poole moving up into the number nine position for Argyle.
The Greens started the game as they intended to, with high-pressing tactics and the majority of possession, and Lewes struggled to initially cope with the opening stages of the game.
Ellie Noble picked up a bouncing ball on the edge of the hosts’ box and immediately struck it towards goal. Her looping shot bounced off the bar and back into play, but Lewes did well to clear the ball away from their 18-yard box and out of danger.
The pressure from Argyle continued throughout the opening 15 minutes, but Emily Moore in the Lewes goal was only tested once more through Noble, dealing well with a free-kick attempt.
In the 18th minute, however, the deadlock was broken. Poole picked up the ball by the Lewes 18-yard box, swivelled and fired a low-driven effort into the bottom left corner, past the diving Moore.
Noble and Teisar had chances in front of the goal in the remaining minutes of the half, but they either ran wide of the post or were saved by Moore, meaning the game headed into the break with Argyle having just a one-goal advantage.
The second half started just like the first – and the rest of the game, in fact. Poole picked up the ball on the edge of the Lewes box, after a clearance was fired into her chest, and immediately struck towards goal. Annoyingly for Argyle, the effort flew over the bar and out of play for a goal kick.
Eight minutes into the half, and one should have become two. Tamara Wilcock got in behind the Lewes defence, in the six-yard box, but somehow put her close-range effort wide of the near post, after a progressive and tidy run from Roisin Kivel.
Lewes then turned to their bench, making a triple change, looking to make an impact, but just after the hour mark, one became two, and swiftly after, two became three.
Poole picked off a loose pass across the backline from the hosts, drove forward, confidently took the ball around Emily Moore and poked the ball home into an open goal.
Seven minutes later, Teisar added the third. Poole was involved once again, with her shot being pushed away by Moore, but only to the Greens’ Welsh forward, who kneed the ball home.
Both sides made changes across the final 20 minutes of action, but nothing of significant note, as Argyle dominated possession and saw the game out to secure their place as one of the final four teams in the competition.
Argyle: 1 Hermione Cull, 6 Layla Proctor, 9 Phoebie Poole, 11 Roisin Kivel (capt), 14 Katie Wilson, 15 Tamara Wilcock (17 Paris Dalton, 82), 16 Ella Stephens, 19 Ellie Noble, 23 Olivia Francis, 24 Tianna Teisar (7 Charlotte Whitmore, 73), 26 Arabella Suttie. Substitutes: 21 Eilish Brogan (gk), 3 Phoebe Hampson, 5 Giota Papaioannou, 29 Chloe Ingrouille, 30 Shana Dolbel.
Goals: Poole 18, 62, Teisar 69.
Lewes: 1 Emily Moore, 2 Maddie Brant, 4 Sydney Schreimaier (15 Danielle Rowe, 72), 5 Layla Banaras (20 Taylor Bell, 72), 10 Olivia Carpenter (21 Katie Gilligan, 56), 13 Rebekah Trewhitt (6 Hannah Godfrey, 56), 14 Paula Howells, 16 Sarah Harvey (18 Lois Roche, 56), 23 Ylenia Priest, 24 Lois Edwards, 77 Leah Lane. Substitutes: 7 Kayla Ginger, 9 Chelsea Ferguson.
