Plymouth Argyle Women v Billericay Town Women

Argyle Women return to Home Park looking to make it three wins in February when facing Billericay Town on Sunday.

The battle at the bottom of the FAWNL Southern Premier Division table is free for all Green Army members to attend. Argyle won their last match against the Blues 2-1 in a cup victory.

New Head Coach James Bradley is excited about the opportunity and believes his side can continue the positive performances seen in recent weeks despite the obvious pressure.

“I'm really excited for the challenge,” Bradley told Argyle TV. “I think it's important that I say that the club has been left in a great position. I think the staff have done a fantastic job and now it's my time to take it over and, for the last seven games of the season, give it a real good go.

“It has been a busy week, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. I think the team has been fantastic. Hopefully, they've taken to me, as well! I've tried to implement a couple of the ideas that I'd want them to do on a match day, but overall, it's been busy.

“I think the squad has done fantastic. I've watched lots of games and I think they've performed excellently over the last few weeks. For me, it's around being positive. Training has been good and, hopefully, we take that mentality into the game and go and have a positive performance.

“We need to just stick to the process, really, on Sunday. Whenever I've coached and managed in big games before it's the team that sticks to the controllables during the game that ends up on top.

“If we stick to the principles we've been working on in training, we'll be absolutely fine.”

Bradley, a former Argyle apprentice and current Under-16s Academy Head Coach, has been around the Greens for the majority of his life. Now, he’s relishing the opportunity to stand and coach from the touchline at Home Park.

He said: “I'm really proud to be coaching at home. I've been at this football club for a long time, so to be able to step out at Home Park and manage in the dugout, in front of what will hopefully be a good crowd, is a proud moment for me and I'm sure the team is looking forward to it as well.”

An injury-time Billericay Town equaliser not only altered the mood at Home Park, but could have implications for the FA Women’s National League South table.

Argyle came into this game two points above Billericay Town, who occupy the second-to-bottom position in the league table, and when the Greens were 2-1 up in this game, they were looking like going five clear – and with a game in hand.

The lead had been gained after Charlotte Whitmore scored in the first half and Ellie Sara in the second, either side of Ella Houghton’s equaliser for the visitors.

However, with time seemingly coming to a close, Abbi Smith scored a sublime 25-yard effort to level the game and break Argyle hearts.

The Greens began the game strongly on the front foot, with Sara, Georgia Wilson and Katie Dickson all having efforts in the early stages. Argyle also forced a number of corners which looked threatening, but Billericay survived.

That is, until the 25th minute, when Whitmore managed to force the ball over the line following a besieging of Town’s six-yard area.

Ava Kuyken sent a free-kick not far wide as the Pilgrims looked to turn the screw, but it was Billericay who called the game’s next goal. The Essex side won a corner of their own, and although Argyle partially cleared, Houghton sent an effort back through the crowd and into the net.

Argyle stepped up their efforts in the second period, with Wilson and Lulu Jarvis coming close to getting them back in front. However, at the other end, it took a sensational block by Caitlin Smith to prevent Smith from sneaking Billericay into the lead.

Only a few minutes later, at the other end, Argyle did get their second. Sara’s first action, to take the ball in and nip past a marker, was very smart, and then she doubled down with a left-footed effort that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the corner.

This ought to have been it. Save for a Flo Jackson header that went not far off target, Billericay rarely threatened, and it seemed Argyle had done enough. Enter Smith, who strode forward, and let fly with a long-range effort. If she plays football for another 20 years, she will not hit a ball as well-timed as that – in more ways than one.

Remarkably, Argyle still found time to threaten and look for a winner, and were not far away when substitute Fern Orchard tried to head over Katie O’Hanlon, who reached up and plucked the effort from the sky.

“We're all gutted, to be honest with you,” said Head Coach James Bradley after the game. “I think we deserved to win the game, and then you get hit with that sucker punch in the 93rd minute. It's a great strike.

“I think it feels like a loss because the performance was good, especially in the first half. I thought we played really well. We passed the ball excellently, created loads of chances.

“We have to pick ourselves up now. It's gone; we can't do anything about it. We've got a two-week break now where we can get some really good work done on the training pitch, and then keep moving forwards.”

Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson, 3 Roxy Thomas (22 Lois Edwards, 63), 4 AmiiKearley (8 Imy Crawford, 63), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 9 Ellie Sara (19 Erin O’Shea, 88), 10 Georgia Wilson (15 Georgie Knott, 75), 16 Ella Stephens, 17 Lulu Jarvis (80 Fern Orchard, 80), 24 Ava Kuyken, 26 Caitlin Smith. Substitutes: 23 Freya Weeks (gk), 13 Grace Smith.

PLY Argyle Women

Billericay Town

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