Report | Milton Keynes Dons 3 Argyle Women 1
Milton Keynes Dons 3
Gould 15, Coupar 32, Mitchell 83
Argyle 1
Whitmore 67
Argyle Women lost 3-1 away to Milton Keynes Dons in a game which got away from them in the first half an hour of the match.
Tricia Gould and Mollie Coupar scored on the quarter- and half-hour marks, and although Charlotte Whitmore brought Argyle back into it in the second half, Laura Mitchell’s late strike sealed the win for the home side.
MK Dons looked to take control of the game from the first minute, as they controlled the early stages whilst the Greens withstood the pressure. Holding out could only last so long, though, as the home side took their chance to take a lead via a cross into the area that found Gould lying in wait.
Argyle attempted to react immediately through Whitmore, who came close via a one-on-one with MK keeper Chloe Samsom who rushed out of her area to clear the danger.
Argyle goalkeeper Jasmine Read was called into action in the 30th minute to tip a close-range effort over the crossbar, denying the Dons an extension on their lead. However, this was only temporary, as MK’s persistence was rewarded through Coupar’s run into the area that doubled both the scoreline and the pressure on Argyle to come back.
The Greens reacted once more and came close to equalising through an audacious attempt from Georgia Wilson, who tried her luck from range but was denied by the crossbar before the half ended.
In a tight second half, the first major chance from open play fell to Argyle who took their opportunity halve their deficit in the 67th minute. Parallel to Whitmore’s first-half chance, the pacey number 7 darted in behind the MK defence from a perfectly placed through ball from Kayley Lane, Whitmore slotted the ball under the onrushing Sansom, giving Argyle a foothold and crucial momentum with 23 minutes left on the clock.
Zoe Greenslade and Whitmore continued to press forward in search of a leveller, but neither could get close or enough space to test Sansom in her area.
The final 10 minutes saw MK rally and begin to pin Argyle back into their own half. The Dons worked the ball around the area constantly in search of an opening and found one through Mitchell, whose strike at the near post restored the home side's two-goal cushion, despite Argyle calls for a foul in the build-up.
Argyle's final major chance came in response to MK’s third goal. A half-volley in the area from Cunningham hurtled towards the goal but the ball ricocheted off an MK defender and away from danger before the full-time whistle was blown.
Argyle now look ahead to the penultimate game of the season where they take on Billericay Town. A win away to Billericay with results going in their favour could see Argyle edge one step closer to safety in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division.
Argyle: 1 Jasmine Read, 3 Rosie Train, 5 Panagiota Papaioannou, 23 Rosie McDonnell, 20 Beth Ireland, 8 Kayley Lane, 16 Georgia Wilson, 18 Imy Crawford (10 Zoe Cunningham), 7 Charlotte Whitmore (17 Tiana Campbell), 11 Amber Pollock (9 Erin 0’Shea), 27 Lily Greenslade.
