Report: Argyle Women 1-3 Oxford United
Argyle 1
Pomfret 9
Oxford United 3
Burridge 50, Barratt 64, Budaieva 85
Three second-half goals for visitors Oxford United gave them victory at Home Park over a hugely spirited Argyle.
The Greens led through Taya Pomfret’s early goal, and held firm through to half-time with an organised and committed display. United, though, scored via a speculative Leah Burridge effort shortly after the restart, and their confidence visibly rose.
Zoe Barratt put Oxford in front shortly after Ellie Sara had a chance excellently saved, with substitute Vitalia Budaieva sealing matters for the Yellows late on.
Argyle lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation; Roxy Thomas came into the team to play at left-back, with Pomfret. Giota Papaioannou and Ella Stephens completing the backline. Georgie Knott was the other player to come into the side, joining Imy Crawford in the heart of the Greens’ midfield. Lulu Jarvis, Ava Kuyken and Georgia Wilson, a trio all recruited in the summer, all played in support of Charlotte Whitmore, playing as a striker.
Oxford started with plenty of the ball, with Argyle retreating into their own territory, but the Yellows failed to get through from a couple of early set plays.
The Pilgrims began to play themselves into the game and it was indirectly via their first corner that they broke the deadlock.
Whitmore’s corner was beautifully flighted, and Papaioannou had a chance to score when getting on the end of it. That chance was missed, but the ball fell to Whitmore once more. Her second delivery was equally as good, sailing over goalkeeper Beth Howard, to where Pomfret attacked at the far post, forcing in from close range.
Oxford responded, but only with a pair of free kicks into the middle which Felgate pouched. Argyle looked sharp on the break, with one neat piece of play in particular by Wilson releasing Whitmore, whose cross found Jarvis in the middle. However, Jarvis could not generate enough power on her header, and Oxford cleared.
There was little to speak of in the way of chances during much of the first half but, as the team in front, this suited Argyle, who did a really good job of winning individual duels, keeping shape and discipline, and holding Oxford at a clear arm’s length. Half-time arrived with nothing in the way of a scare.
Five minutes into the second period, Oxford got their equaliser, and it came as a bit of a bolt from the blue. Oxford captain Burridge – a Plymothian, and former Argyle loanee - let fly with a speculative effort from distance that seemed to catch the wind and float over Felgate, into the net.
Oxford went close to taking the lead just before the hour mark, with Phoebie Poole hooking an effort from the edge of the box and seeing it go not very far wide.
Argyle made a change at this point, with Ellie Sara coming on for Kuyken, and the replacement was quickly into the action. Superb closing down by Jarvis robbed Oxford of the ball high up the field, and Jarvis smartly offloaded inside to Sara. Sara beat her marker and fired towards the corner, only to be thwarted by a really good save by Howard, low to her left.
Oxford took the lead a short time later, with Poole working her way down the right and squeezing a low cross into the centre, where Barratt arrived at the right time to force the ball home.
Argyle continued to search for an equaliser. They sent fresh legs in the shape of Katie Dickson and Amii Kearley as the game entered the final stages. This meant some personnel switches, including Pomfret moving to midfield. She won a free kick which, at the second attempt, Argyle got into the box, and Wilson was unlucky that the ball spun away from her with the keeper drawn.
United sealed their win with a third goal, with five minutes remaining. Kearley was tackled by Oxford sub Vitalia Budaieva, who then rounded the stranded Felgate and rolled home.
Argyle travel to Milton Keynes Dons next Saturday, before a return to Home Park on Sunday, 8 September, against Hashtag United.
Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 3 Roxy Thomas, 5 Giota Papaioannou, 6 Taya Pomfret, 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 8 Imy Crawford, 10 Georgia Wilson (20 Fern Orchard, 88), 15 Georgie Knott (4 Amii Kearley 78), 16 Ella Stephens, 17 Lulu Jarvis (2 Katie Dickson, 79), 24 Ava Kuyken (9 Ellie Sara, 59) Substitutes: 13 Grace Smith, 19 Erin O'Shea, 25 Jess Geach.
Booked: Knott 32, Papaioannou 90.
Oxford: 1 Beth Howard, 2 Nic Gibson, 4 Kate Wiseman (6 Cecily Wellesley-Smith, 90) 5 Zoe Creaney, 7 Izzy Cook (20 Lucy Trinder, 58), 9 Zoe Barrett, 10 Phoebie Poole (30 Vitalia Budaieva, 79), 11 Ruby Sealey (17 Sarah King, 58) 16 Jaime Gotch, 18 Taome Oliver (15 Ellie-Mae Richardson, 90), 19 Leah Burridge (capt). Substitutes: 8 Jenna Legg, 22 Paris Sercombe (gk)
Booked: Sealey 57, Poole 68.
Attendance: 726.
