Argyle 4
Papaioannou 11, Wilson 61, Sara pen 63, 68
Bridgwater 2
Everson 16, Bedford 52
Argyle won their determining round match against Bridgwater United on Thursday night, ensuring a place in this season’s FA Women’s National League Cup.
Progress was not without its scares: although Argyle led through Giota Papaioannou, Bridgwater were level at the break and led early in the second half, but things turned in the middle of the second period, with Georgia Wilson’s equaliser and a brace from Ellie Sara all coming in the space of eight minutes.
Argyle made four changes for the game, with Katie Dickson, Jess Geach, Erin O’Shea and Ellie Sara coming into the side.
Dickson and Geach played in a back four alongside Giota Panaioannou and Ella Stephens, the latter of whom started at left-back, but switched flanks with Dickson during the first half.
The defensive changes meant Taya Pomfret moved into central midfield, alongside Imy Crawford, with Ava Kuyken just ahead of them. Georgia Wilson played on the right flank, with O’Shea on the left and Sara up front.
Bridgwater drew first blood on the shots front, striking the bar through a powerful Faith Bedford effort, but were made to pay, as Argyle took the lead two minutes later.
An Argyle corner was only partially dealt with by the Bridgwater defence, and when Crawford hoisted in a deep corner by return, skipper Papaioannou was there to head in the opener.
Bridgwater equalised soon after though. It was former Argyle pathway product Beth Everson who levelled, picking up on a loose ball high up the field, and slotting in to give the visitors parity.
It took Argyle a while to deal with the setback, with the game lacking fluency and the Greens unable to keep the ball. Around the half-hour mark, though, the chances started to flow – although the game’s third goal remained elusive.
The more the game had gone on, the more Wilson was an influence, and from one drive forward, she shot not far over the bar. Shortly afterwards, Pomfret arrived into the area having been involved in starting an attack and shifting the ball wide. A bobbly effort was eventually turned around by goalkeeper Emma Ayres.
Ellie Sara was next to work Ayres, latching on to a quickly taken throw-in by Wilson, but being foiled at the near post. Then, it was Sara who kept a ball alive in the area, teeing up O’Shea for a blocked shot, before Wilson shot over once more.
Within two minutes of the restart, Bridgwater took the lead. Hollie Tappin’s run down the right drew Felgate, and the shot across the goal struck a post, but it fell to Bedford, who struck the rebound home.
Argyle brought on Charlotte Whitmore and Lulu Jarvis for O’Shea and Dickson, sending the former up front and playing Jarvis as a wing-back in a rejigged formation.
With a shot from range, Whitmore made Ayres work for the first time in the half, and then moments later Wilson struck from a similar position, straight into the corner past a stricken goalkeeper.
The shift in momentum was telling, and sudden. Another attacking move through the centre caught Bridgwater out with its dynamism and, although a deflection into her path was fortuitous, Sara’s finish was confident and true. In the space of seven minutes, Argyle had gone from a goal down to two goals up.
Argyle fancied more. Substitute Grace Smith took a touch to set and another to shoot, hitting a low effort from 20 that made Ayres work again, but Bridgwater were not out of it, with Bedford and substitute Grace Phillips shooting over.
Argyle, though, saw the game through, and ensured safe passage into the next round.
Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson (7 Charlotte Whitmore, 53), 5 Giota Papaioannou, 6 Taya Pomfret, 8 Imy Crawford, 9 Ellie Sara, 10 Georgia Wilson (13 Grace Smith, 75), 16 Ella Stephens (18 Katie Grigg, 75), 19 Erin O’Shea (17 Lulu Jarvis, 53), 24 Ava Kuyken (15 Georgie Knott, 69), 25 Jess Geach. Substitutes: 14 Kelsey Blight, 20 Fern Orchard.
Booked: Papaioannou 57.
Bridgwater: 1 Emma Ayres, 2 Ella-Mae Miller, 3 Gracie Owen (19 Grace Phillips, 70), 4 Keeley Banfield, 7 Jess Smith, 8 Ellie Bell (17 Dani Tyson, 76), 9 Faith Bedford, 11 Hana Bennett (capt), 12 Izzy Baker, 14 Hollie Tappin (10 Grace Clark, 70), 16 Beth Everson. Substitutes: 18 Charlie Rollerson.
Booked:
Attendance: 145
