Argyle Women return to FAWNL Southern Premier Division action on Wednesday night, with an exciting Devon Derby encounter against Exeter City at Coach Road.
Since the turn of the year, the Greens have picked up three important victories - over Milton Keynes Dons, Lewes and AFC Wimbledon - whilst also drawing at home to Billericay Town.
In the same period, Exeter have matched the Pilgrims, picking up 10 points through five games in 2025 and most recently beating Oxford United away from home.
Despite missing out on three points at Home Park in the final seconds against Billericay over a fortnight ago, Head Coach Bradley believes his side are in a strong position to battle with their Devon rivals on Wednesday night.
“We're really looking forward to it,” Bradley told Argyle TV. “We've had a couple of weeks to do some good work on the training pitch and being at the football club for a long time, I always understand what playing against Exeter means to everyone, so it’ll be a good day.
“Preparations have been fine. We had a good couple of weeks of training and then it goes into a two-game week this week. After the Billericay game, when we conceded late, it would have been probably nice to play straight away but it has meant that we can get on that training ground and do some work, which we have done.
“I think we need to match Exeter’s intensity and even go past it at times as well, but also, we need to be calm. We’ve got lots of players with great technical ability, who can handle the ball, so I want us to dominate possession, be calm, look to connect and combine in the final third, but also compete when we need to as well.
“I think confidence in any game is important, and the team should be full of confidence. I think the last two performances that I've been involved in have been really good, so we'll take that positivity into Wednesday night and hopefully get a good result.”
Midfielder Ava Kuyken has been a key part of the Greens’ improvement during 2025, playing a vital role in the midfield battle.
The Argyle number 24 featured in both games against the Grecians earlier in the season but believes the current positivity and belief around the squad can help the Pilgrims battle for three points at the home of the Devon FA.
She told Argyle TV: “Obviously, it's the Devon Derby, so that's exciting, but I think it's just another game for us and we'll prepare how we do for any game.
“We've had a bit longer preparation because we didn't have a game the last two weekends, so hopefully we're feeling fresh, and we’ve had longer to work on our shape and potentially refine a few things that weren't going well.
“Everyone is feeling positive going into it. I think in the last couple of months we've been playing good football, and it has meant everyone is feeling confident. We're more than good enough technically, but we need to match them physically. They're quite an aggressive team and that's where they've had the edge on us in the last two games - but we’re ready.”
