Report | Argyle Women 0-4 Watford
Argyle suffered a 4-0 defeat to Watford at Langsford Park on Sunday in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.
Goals from Ellie Head, Jessie Gale, Bianca Baptiste and Megan Chandler handed the Hornets three points in Devon, pushing them into fourth place in the league table.
Argyle dropped into the relegation zone with the loss, coupled with Gwalia United’s draw against Exeter handing the Welsh side a point away from home.
Watford started the game on the front foot, pinning Argyle deep into their half and creating chance after chance. Goalkeeper Lily Felgate was tested numerous times throughout the opening 10 minutes, but a shot-cum-cross from Gale in the 14th minute turned the tie in the visitors’ favour.
The Arsenal dual-signee and England Under-19 drove into the Greens’ penalty box and watched her effort ricochet off the post and bounce back into the six-yard box to the feet of her teammate Head to place in the back of the net.
For the remainder of the half, the visitors pressed on and were hunting for a second and would have had it on multiple occasions if it was not for Felgate in the Argyle goal. The Greens’ number one was forced into many saves, with the pick of the bunch stopping a Watford headed opportunity by pushing the ball off the line at full extension.
It seemed Ryan Perks’ side had done enough to head into the break trailing by just a goal but a defensive miscommunication allowed Gale to pick the ball up inside the area, round Felgate, and tap home before turning around to celebrate with teammates.
The second half started similarly to the first, but Argyle held stronger defensively. Watford held most of the possession but were unable to create clear-cut chances like they did in the first.
On the hour mark, the visitors made the first substitutions of the game, one being prolific goalscorer and former Tottenham forward Baptiste. Within two minutes, Watford had a third through the 32-year-old.
Argyle tried to make changes of their own to affect the game but soon enough three became four. Captain Chandler struck a long-range effort precisely into the top corner of Argyle’s goal, leaving Felgate frozen.
The Greens pushed on in the final 10 minutes looking to create opportunities in front of goal, but to no avail, leaving Watford to celebrate when the referee blew the full-time whistle.
An important FAWNL Cup semi-final is next on the agenda for Argyle, with the game taking place at Home Park on Sunday, 26 January.
“I thought, without the ball, structurally, we were okay,” Perks told Argyle TV, ”but we weren't good enough with the ball today. That's an area we need to improve on quickly. It's down to us to turn it around.
“It's difficult because we've got a very inexperienced squad. If you look at the difference in the two teams today, Watford have got ex-WSL players and national players all over the pitch and we're a young developing side which is going to take a bit of time. The difference between the two teams today was probably just the quality on the pitch.
“We need to be better with the ball, make better decisions and stop making so many mistakes. It’s been the story of our season. We get punished for little lapses of concentration or lack of quality - that's the difference between us being a good competitive side in this league and where we are at the minute.
“We'll keep plugging away and working hard, but the focus this week will be to be better with the ball on the transition.”
Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson (20 Fern Orchard, 73), 4 Amii Kearley, 5 GiotaPapaioannou (capt), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 8 Imy Crawford (19 Erin O’Shea, 79), 10 Georgia Wilson (15 Georgie Knott, 66), 16 Ella Stephens (3 Roxy Thomas, 79), 17 Lulu Jarvis (9 Ellie Sara, 66), 24 Ava Kuyken, 26 Caitlin Smith. Substitutes: 25 Jess Geach, 56 Comfort Erhabor.
Booked: Crawford 32, Whitmore 46.
Watford: 1 Maria O'Sullivan, 4 Anna Filbey, 5 Anne Meiwald (19 Daisy Hind, 79), 9 Madison Perry (8 Lachante Paul, 74), 10 Annie Rossiter, 12 Ellie Head (7 Gemma Davison, 74), 17 Megan Chandler, 18 Poppy Wilson, 21 Florence Fyfe (40 Bianca Baptiste, 61), 23 Coral Haynes, 24 Jessie Gale (16 Clarabella Hall, 61). Substitutes: 13 Jacqueline Goldsmid, 25 Meli Mehmet.
Goals: Head 14, Gale 45, Baptiste 62, Chandler 68
Booked: Chandler 58