The Adobe Women's FA Cup: The Story So Far
Argyle play in the fourth round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup this Sunday, as they take on Nottingham Forest at Home Park, at 1pm.
Tickets for the game are available from ArgyleTickets.com, priced at £7 for adults, and will be available on the day of the game.
It has been an exceptional effort from Ryan Perks' team to get to this stage, and the run to date has seen fascinating ties. Let's have a look at the Pilgrims run in the competition so far...
Round One - Ilminster Town (H)
In late November of 2023, following a postponement due to heavy rain at Torpoint Athletic's The Mill, the fixture was moved to Home Park, making it Argyle Women's first match at the Theatre of Greens in the 2023/24 season.
Over 2,000 fans came to watch Ryan Perks’ side score 13 goals past the visitors, in a match that recorded the joint-highest goals in the first round of the Women’s FA Cup this season.
Scoring began with Mia Endacott, and striker Ellie Sara went on to score five past the Blues as the half continued, with goals from Charlotte Whitmore and Tamsin Medd-Gill bringing the scoreline to 8-0.
Argyle's fine form in front of goal continued through Katie Dickson who scored her first goal for Argyle five minutes into the second half. Rebecca Dandridge scored two, either side of Whitmore's excellent second, before Jemma Rose rounded things off.
Round Two - AFC Stoneham (H)
One week later, the Greens were back in action, taking on step six side AFC Stoneham at Coach Road, Newton Abbot.
Sara opened the scoring for Argyle ten minutes into the first half, a goal that was followed by a sensational half volley from Rose, who rifled the ball into the top right corner from the edge of the area.
Argyle continued to control the game in the second half and managed to double their lead by the 77th minute, thanks to close-range efforts from Sara and Rosie McDonnell. Despite a late rally from Stoneham that saw the visitors claw back two goals as the game ended, the Pilgrims saw the game out for a 4-2 victory.
Round Three - Oxford United (H)
Argyle's third round draw saw Coach Road take centre stage once more, for the visit of Oxford United, who had already faced the Greens earlier in the season, beating them 5-0 in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.
In their toughest game of the competition, Argyle took the game to Oxford early on. Chances for McDonnell and Dandridge from distance kept Oxford wary of Argyle’s threat going forward but Oxford caused trouble of their own, resulting in Lacy-Jai Liggett snatching a late lead in the first half.
With 45 minutes left on the clock and the Coach Road crowd behind them, the Greens came out ready for a battle as the sun went down over Newton Abbot. Both sides struggled to register any clear-cut chances as the second half got underway, with each side battling to break down the opposition's steadfast defence. Oxford left-back Shelly Provan attempted to write her side's name into the fourth round with a strike from 20 yards, but her effort rattled the crossbar.
Minutes were left on the clock and Argyle still needed a leveller forcing manager Ryan Perks to roll the dice with one final substitution - one that proved to be decisive in changing Argyle's fate. A crucial charge down the left flank by Whitmore that left her marker in the dust allowed the winger to put one final ball into the area that found the laces of substitute Fern Orchard lying in wait. Orchard struck home, sending the game into extra-time.
In an end-to-end extra period, exceptional saves from Jasmine Read kept Argyle in the fight until a penalty was awarded to the visitors after 20 of the 30 minutes had been played. Zoe Barratt put the U’s back in the lead from the spot kick, but once again Argyle dramatically levelled the scoreline. A well-weighted pass under pressure from Dandridge to Crawford allowed the midfielder to smash another equaliser into the top corner, sending the crowd and technical area into delirium.
In the shoot-out, former Argyle player Leah Burridge missed Oxford’s second penalty, which gave the Greens the advantage. All five of Argyle’s takers – Rose, Endacott, Jade Berrow, Taya Pomfret and Whitmore – dispatched their efforts, meaning Argyle proudly took their place in the fourth round of the cup.
