Preview | Argyle Women v Budleigh Salterton Ladies
After a fantastic 2-1 win at Home Park against Cardiff City Ladies, Argyle Women return to their regular home ground Manadon Sports Hub this Sunday, 15 January in the ClickHub Devon Women’s Premier Cup against Budleigh Salterton Ladies.
Last weekend’s victory at the Theatre of Greens left players and fans delighted as Ryan Perks’ side secured themselves a seat in the quarter-finals of the FA Women’s National League Cup. It was a fixture the gaffer had stated was crucial to the groundwork of kicking on in the second half of the season.
“It’s nice to get the first win at Home Park and progress in the cup,” said Perks. “Overall, I’m happy. We spoke before the match about how we wanted to start the New Year off with a win, and the girls have gone and claimed it in front of 1,500 fans. There were some great individual performances that helped to secure the result. Hopefully, we can use this as a platform to keep building momentum into some crucial fixtures both in the league and cups.”
Argyle’s previous game in the Devon Women’s Premier Cup saw the Greens triumph 11-0 over Marine Academy Plymouth Ladies.
Budleigh Salterton Ladies are now the team that stands in the way of Argyle’s chance of a place in the County Cup final. Budleigh progressed to this stage thanks to a 4-1 win over Bideford. The Robins currently sit sixth in the South West Regional Women's Football League Western Division and have struggled for form during the winter period. Nick Long’s side will be looking to restart his team's campaign with an upset this weekend, but manager Ryan Perks is keen to ensure his side treats the game no differently than any other.
“Our previous fixture in this cup was incredibly positive,” Ryan said. “Although we were favourites going into the match, the girls didn’t take it for granted and went out there, secured the result and showed their capabilities in front of goal. It was also a good opportunity to rotate the squad and give players a chance to show us what they can do in the match and potentially give us some selection headaches in our upcoming fixtures.
“We always try to instil a grounded mentality into the team when playing any fixture. Our target at the start of the season was to make the final and we are more than capable of achieving it. But Budleigh will also want to come here and make a statement, so we must ensure we keep our heads down and get the result.”
The game will be held at the Manadon Sports & Community Hub, kick-off is at 2.30pm, tickets cost £5 for adults while U3s have free entry. If you can’t make it to the game, then updates are available on social media @ArgyleWFC.
