PLYMOUTH Argyle played out a 0-0 draw with unbeaten AFC Bournemouth in front of nearly 1,500 fans at Home Park on Sunday in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.
Bournemouth had gone into the game sitting top of the table with Argyle third, and the teams could not be separated on the day.
The Cherries did come close to snatching the three points at the end, but Katie Wilson made a great goal-line clearance.
The draw saw both sides drop a place in the table, with Watford, Argyle’s opponents this coming weekend in the FA Cup, taking over at the top of the standings.
Plymouth head coach Marie Hourihan was keen to look at the positives of Sunday’s draw.
“We’ve not lost the game,” Hourihan said. “We’ve taken a point and we keep our unbeaten run here going at Home Park.
“I thought we were excellent from the outset. The intent was to compete. We knew Bournemouth’s main threats across their top line and how it can be quite transitional, so we needed to control that. I thought we did really well.”
She added: “Since I’ve come into this football club, it is about us going into games with real intent, a certain control, and asserting our influence over the game, and I feel we’re doing that to a really good effect. We have to take the positives out of the game into next weekend’s cup game against Watford, which again will be a similarly tight and difficult game for us.”
Marine Academy Plymouth did pick up three points on Sunday as they beat Worthing 2-0 at Ivybridge in the FA National League Division One South West.
Ellie Bishop and Clara Martin scored goals early in the second half to secure Marine Academy the win, which has moved them up to fifth in a tight table, where just four points separate seven teams.
Saltash United suffered late heartbreak as they were beaten 3-2 away at Sherborne Town in the South West Women’s Premier Division.
The Ashes were leading 2-1 going into the closing stages thanks to goals from Nicola Champion and Olivia Lennox. However, they were not able to hang on to their lead under strong pressure from the home team, who bagged the three points courtesy of goals from Ellie Orritt (2) and Hannah Eslon.
Elsa Finnegan and Isabelle Firth scored impressive second-half goals as Plympton beat Crediton United 2-0 at Manadon in the Devon Premier Cup on Sunday.
Plympton had been frustrated by some good saves by the visiting goalkeeper in the first half, but they took just five minutes of the second period to find the breakthrough when Finnegan got the better of a Crediton defender before firing in from the edge of the box.
Firth then scored a long-range screamer right at the end of the game to seal Plympton’s progress through to the next round.
Drake FC, Plymouth True Blues and Horrabridge Rangers all progressed to the next round of the Devon Senior Cup.
Drake FC enjoyed a 10-1 away victory at Axminster Town thanks to goals from Molly Yeatman (3), Aimee Sharples, Jaz Bonney, Eleanor Cranch, Cerys Morgan, Millie Springbett and Amy Neale.
Plymouth True Blues had to come from behind to beat Tavistock 8-2 away.
Meg Williams had put Tavistock ahead, but the visitors came back with Jessie Welch bagging a hat-trick to go with further strikes from Georgina Whitby (2), Jazmine Tingley, Maisie Allison and Angel Goucher. Tavistock’s second goal came from a stunning 30-yard volley by Louise McLeod.
Horrabridge Rangers overcame Lakeside Athletic 16-0 at the Parkway, while Hunter District were beaten 5-2 at home by Plainmoor. Mollie Dring scored Hunter’s goals.
In the Devon Women’s League South & West Division, Plymouth Marjon beat Elm United 8-3.
Aimiee Kilpatrick (2), Sam Cox, Robyn Hearn, Estelle Hodges, Freya Jackson , Ellie Pearce and Phoebe White scored for Marjon, with Mia-Mae Lawrence (2) and Maise Godfrey netting for Elm.
In the Cornwall Premier Division, Saltash Borough enjoyed a 4-0 home victory over St Dennis thanks to goals from Lucy Borthwick, Chloe Moore, Abby Shapland and Hannah Spry.
In the Cornwall League Cup, Callington Town were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Wadebridge after the tie ended 1-1.
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