Preview | Billericay v Argyle Women

Argyle Women’s team manager Ryan Perks is experiencing a little deja vu.

This time last season, his side were faced with a task to get points at the end of the season to maintain their position in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division, but they pulled it out and stayed up. Now, with two games to go this season, they have to do it all again.

Argyle are 10th in the league, one point above the dropzone. Bottom side Crawley Wasps are down, but between them and Argyle sit Bridgwater United, one point shy of Argyle. In ninth are London Bees, two points ahead of the Pilgrims, and with a game in hand.

Argyle travel to Billericay Town this Sunday, but of equal interest is that Bridgwater’s final two games are both against London Bees. Argyle’s two other relegation rivals will inevitably take points from each other, and the Greens’ destiny is still of their own making.

Perks would dearly to love to head to Essex this weekend and pick up a victory which would put the pressure on the sides around them when they meet the following weekend. 

“We're still going,” said Ryan. “We're fairly confident it is still in our own hands. We only, realistically, need three more points from the last two to stay in the league.

“We've had a tough six weeks; we've played the top six and had some difficult results. Performance levels have been good, bar two 45-minute spells, at Gillingham and MK Dons, which made it difficult to get the results there.

“We've just got to go in with a bit of confidence knowing that we can go to Billericay and get the points. It's going to be a tough game. They beat us at home 1-0. one now. They’ve got some very good players, so we've just got to be at our best to get the result on Sunday.

“They've had a bit of a tough week, this week - they've had two cup finals in this week building up – but that doesn't mean they're not going to be on it.

“They're a physical side, they move the ball well and they've got some quality in the final third, so we we're going to have to be at our best to get a result this Sunday.

“We were in this boat last season, where it went down to the wire. It's in our hands as it was last year. We got over the line last year and hopefully we can do it again this year, and continue to build. I think over the last couple of years, we've progressed as a team, on and off the pitch.

“It's really important that we stay in this league this year and continue to build. We've got some talented young players at this club coming through, and we need to be at the highest level possible to continue to filter those players into that sort of experience and keep them at the club.”