Preview | Argyle Women v Cardiff City (H)
After a sensational run in the Adobe Women's FA Cup, Argyle turn their attention back to league football for their final outing of the calendar year, this Sunday.
The Greens face 10th-placed Cardiff City Ladies this Sunday at Coach Road, Newton Abbot, where Ryan Perks’ side will look to continue their valiant form at home.
Following a nail-biting injury-time thriller which saw the Greens level the match not once, but twice, thanks to incredible finishes from Fern Orchard and Imy Crawford, Argyle took visitors Oxford United to penalties.
Oxford United’s Leah Burridge failed the strike United’s second penalty of the shoot-out, which gave Argyle ample opportunity to take matters into their own hands, comfortably slotting every spot-kick past the dives of Paris Sercombe, confirming their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
“It was a hard-fought victory for the girls on Sunday, and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” said Perks on his squad's character and performance. “I’ve spoken highly of the girls’ attitude and commitment over the past few months and when times have been tough, we’ve continued to grow and improve. Since Chatham away, this team has shown that it has what it takes to compete in this league and our run in the cup has only helped to further boost the girls’ confidence and belief in that fact.
“What we need to do now is continue to keep these standards high and take the form we’ve discovered into the league this weekend against Cardiff, so that we can begin to form a nice gap between us and the teams below.”
Argyle’s previous match against the Welsh side was in early October, when a second-half comeback saw Cardiff confirm their place in the FA Women’s National League Cup whilst the Greens returned home disappointed. Since then, Argyle’s form has continued to grow, winning six points from their last four matches, whilst Cardiff have only secured four.
“If we play like we did on Sunday, then we can win that game,” said Perks. “Cardiff have had a tough time in the league since our fixture, but they’re still a good side that pose a threat if your performance levels drop throughout the game. We need to make sure we’re on it from the start and keep pushing until the final whistle.
“We want to finish the year off on a high and in the best possible position we can. A win this weekend sees us go six points ahead of Cardiff, and if the Chatham and Bees’ results go our way, we can look even more safe in the league.
“The girls know how important this game is this weekend and are equally confident in their ability to give the fans another win at Coach Road, which could play a huge part in our road to a strong finish this season.”
The game will be held at Coach Road, Newton Abbot. Kick-off is at 2pm, with tickets costing £5 for adults, £3 for concessions while Under-16s have free entry. If you cannot make it to the game, updates are available on social media @ArgyleWFC.
