Preview | Devon Women's Premier Cup Final
Cup final fever descends over Coach Road on Friday, 19 April, where either the Greens or the Grecians will be crowned champions of the A&S Interiors Devon Women’s Premier Cup, as Argyle take on Exeter City at the Devon FA headquarters.
The Pilgrims’ ticket to the final was booked in February against Torquay United, a 4-0 win that saw four separate goalscorers. Following that match, Ryan Perks’ side worked hard to secure league safety weeks later, and the focus has now turned to finishing the season in the best way possible, which includes the possibility of silverware as well.
“It’s an incredibly busy week for us,” said Perks, commenting on his side's cup final on Friday, before they head to a league match two days later at Billericay Town, “We’ve moved our schedule around this week just to make sure we’re ready for this weekend. The players and staff are all up for it, it’s a cup final and whenever you’re in one, your goal is to win it. Hopefully, we can claim it for ourselves this year.
“I think in the past few years, we’ve had some players who have overthought and overhyped the cup final a bit too much, which has hindered us. This year, we’ve got a group of players who, although aware of the occasion, are treating this like any game of football which is good to see.
“It’s also another Devon derby which adds extra incentive to win it. Exeter are doing very well in the league below, but our girls have already proven that we can beat them and since our last meeting we’ve only got better.”
Win or lose, Argyle will have to rally quickly for their next league fixture that takes place on Sunday against Billericay, where a win away from home could see the Greens jump to eighth in the league, should Ipswich Town beat Cardiff City.
Perks said: “We travel up on the Saturday for Billericay and stay the night, so it’s going to be a pretty long weekend for us, but it’s one we’re looking forward to. We started the season off at Billericay and the players came away from that performance gutted. None of us thought we should’ve been beaten 6-0 that day.
“This weekend, with how much we’ve grown, will be the perfect opportunity to showcase what we’re made of and come away with a crucial three points to help us climb the table.”
Friday’s cup final will be held at Coach Road, Newton Abbot. Kick-off is at 7.15pm, tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for concessions. Sunday’s match against Billericay will take place at New Lodge, Billericay. Kick-off is at 2pm and tickets can be purchased on the gate on the day.
If you cannot make it to either of this weekend’s games, then updates are available on social media, @ArgyleWFC.
