Report: Argyle Women 4-3 Gwalia United
Argyle Women produced a remarkable second-half comeback to win by the odd goal in seven against Gwalia United at Home Park.
The Greens fell a goal down early on to a Cori Williams-Mills goal, and although Ellie Sara equalised, the South Walians led by half-time, thanks to Ellie Sargent.
Shortly after the restart, Williams-Mills struck again, and the mountain Argyle needed to scale looked even steeper. However, they soon started the climb.
Sara’s second softened the incline on 56 minutes, but it took until 81 was on the clock before Charlotte Whitmore found the net to level matters. Only two minutes later, Sara pounced, grabbing her hat-trick and putting the Pilgrims in front. It was a lead they held onto, despite late Gwalia pressure.
Argyle came into the game on the back of two consecutive cup wins – against Billericay Town in the FAWNL Cup, and against Poole Town in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup – but were seeking to claim precious league points.
After a quiet start to the game, those hopes took a dent when Williams-Mills capitalised on a ball that was not cleared from Argyle’s box. In fairness to the Gwalia player, she took the ball down well, and was very calm in sidestepping past a defender and striking home.
Sara’s equaliser, on the half-hour mark, was beautifully worked. The Greens sent Ella Stephens away on the right wing, and she skipped past one defender as she arched towards the penalty area. Sara’s run was well-timed, as was the ball that found her. Sara slotted, and the Pilgrims had parity.
Not for long, though. Elena Cole threaded a past for Sargent to run on to, and she earned her stripes as she shot low into the net.
Lily Felgate made a smart stop to deny Sargent before the break, and soon after the interval Gwalia scored again, with Williams-Mills getting her second. The Gwalia attacker, who had already found the net, had her radar working ahead, holding off a marker and finishing well.
Argyle, though, were not finished. Sara saw blood in the water when a defender slipped, and after latching onto the loose ball, Sara struck from an inside-right position and found the net at the Babcock Devonport End. Game on.
Argyle went hunting for their equaliser, but it looked like their impetus may fade, as the Welsh side fought hard and occasionally looked to hit on the counter, with Sargent pulling an effort narrowly wide.
At the other end, Argyle were very unlucky several times as nice moves ended just one pass away from what would have hopefully been the final recipient. Persistence, though, in the end, paid off.
Whitmore, by now switched to playing through the centre after some tactical substitutions, used her speed and ball control to get beyond the visitors’ defence and confidently finish to make it 3-3. Barely anyone inside Home Park had a chance to draw breath before the winner arrived.
It was Sara again, the beneficially of excellent tenacity from Georgia Wilson, scrapping for the ball in the opposition penalty area, and getting to Sara, who shot on target. Away keeper Laura O’Sullivan-Jones got a hand to it, but the ball, rather theatrically, trickled over the line.
Cue rapturous celebrations, bettered only by those that followed about ten minutes later, when the final whistle blew.
Three wins in a row, in three competitions, for the Pilgrims, who meet Cheltenham Town at Saltash’s Kimberley Stadium, on Sunday, 17 November.
Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson, 4 Amii Kearley, 6 Taya Pomfret, 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 9 Ellie Sara (19 Erin O’Shea 86), 10 Georgia Wilson (16 Georgie Knott, 86), 16 Ella Stephens (8 Imy Crawford 54), 17 Lulu Jarvis (20 Frn Orchard, 75), 24 Ava Kuyken, 26 Caitlin Smith (capt). Substitutes: 56 Comfort Erhabor (gk), 3 Roxy Thomas, 5 Giota Papaioannou.
Goals: Sara 31, 56, 83, Whitmore 81
Booked: Pomfret, Whitmore.
Gwalia: 1 Laura O’Sullivan-Jones, 2 Libby Piggott, 3 Tia Asker, 4 Emily Poole, 5 Ellie Lake, 6 Elena Cole (21 Ruby Scahill, 54), 7 Ellie Sargent, 12 Cori Williams-Mills, 23 Cerys Jones, 25 Keira O’Keefe (8 Chloe Lloyd, 75), 28 Casi Gregson. Substitutes: 10 Jemina Lister, 15 Shurima Vine, 17 Issy Newns, 18 Caitlin Williams, 31 Yasmin Davies.
Goals: Williams-Mills 11, 49, Sargent 40
Attendance: 511
