Report | Billericay Town 2-1 Argyle Women
Argyle Women suffered a 2-1 defeat away from home in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division to Billericay Town at the New Lawn on Sunday.
Ellie Sara’s goal before half-time was cancelled out quickly after Breon Grant’s driving finish, adding to Valentine Pursey’s early goal and handing three points to the home side.
The Greens came out of the gates and created a hectic start, with neither side able to claim and hold onto the ball. However, in the third minute, Grant’s volley ricocheted off the bar and dropped into the area, which saw Pursey strike home after a scramble in the box.
Argyle needed to recover from that point and found themselves playing confident and comfortable football, but struggled to create clear-cut chances in front of goal.
After the 20-minute mark, the Greens kicked on and fashioned two efforts towards goal from Sara and Katie Dickson, but neither tested Amiee Watson in the Billericay goal. Just minutes later, Billericay captain Beau Parker was shown the first and only yellow card for her foul on Argyle’s Georgia Wilson.
Then, the inevitable occurred. Sara created space and volleyed home into the bottom corner handing Ryan Perks’ side a highly deserved equaliser.
However, as the clock turned to 45, Billericay Town took the lead for the second time. Grant’s run allowed her a shooting opportunity, which she slotted into the Argyle goal before being mobbed by her jubilant teammates.
The second half produced much of the same as the first 45 minutes, with neither side able to fashion clear chances at goal, but Argyle were dominant on the ball. Defensive confidence and quick passes moved the Greens out of their half, winning multiple free-kicks.
The first chance came for Wilson in the 58th minute, when she looked to replicate her magic finishes from the previous week against London Bees, but her chipped effort ran wide of Watson’s goal and out for a goal kick.
A flurry of opportunities came for the Greens in a short spell, but the much-needed equaliser would not come their way. Charlotte Whitmore picked up the ball in a deep position, drove towards goal and released an effort at Watson, but it was saved easily.
A minute later, Whitmore won a corner for Argyle. It was lofted to the back post towards Caitlin Smith, who won the header but saw her chance fly over the bar. Sara would have found the equaliser on the next attacking phase if it had not been for the recovering Billericay defence, who blocked the goalscorer's shot off the line and out for another corner.
As the game neared its end, Perks turned to his bench for some energy and was nearly rewarded for his choice by Georgie Knott. The midfielder picked up the ball, turned towards goal and fired a long-range effort away from the scrambling Watson, who managed to tip it onto the post and clear away to safety.
Argyle kept the ball and moved forward in the final minutes but did not create another clear shooting opportunity, leaving all players on the floor out of energy when the full-time whistle blew.
The Greens are next in action in the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday, 29 September, against Maidenhead United.
Billericay Town: 1 Aimee Watson, 2 Flo Jackson, 4 Ylenia Priest, 5 Bonnie Horwood, 6 Romany Wellington, 7 Valentine Pursey, 10 Layla Kenly (23 Abbi Smith, 68), 11 Breon Grant (20 Kara Fordjour, 77), 12 Beau Parker (capt), 15 Shauna Munnelly, 16 Charlotte O’Shea. Substitutes: 30 Katie O’Hanlon (gk), 3 Tilly Philpot, 8 Nia Evans, 21 Jessica Frances-Weir, 26 Gracie Hickman
Goals: Pursey 3, Grant 45
Booked: Parker 28
Argyle: 1 Lily Felgate, 2 Katie Dickson (3 Roxy Thomas, 77), 5 Giota Papaioannou (capt), 7 Charlotte Whitmore, 8 Imy Crawford, 9 Ellie Sara (20 Fern Orchard, 77), 10 Georgia Wilson, 16 Ella Stephens, 17 Lulu Jarvis (15 Georgie Knott, 77), 24 Ava Kuyken (19 Erin O’Shea, 84), 26 Caitlin Smith. Substitutes: 56 Comfort Erhabor (gk), 4 Amii Kearley, 18 Katie Grigg
Goals: Sara 40
Photo credit: Gemma Brown.
