It was an evening to forget for Exeter City Women as they fell to a 5-0 defeat in the Devon Challenge Cup Final.
Sophie Gillies scored the goal of the game, but that strike in the 90th minute was little more than a consolation strike. A quickfire double in the first half from the opponents, Plymouth Argyle, followed by three spread throughout the second half, overpowered the Grecians at The County Ground.
Abbie Britton made five changes from the side that completed their WNL season with a 2-1 win against Gwalia United, with Bow Jackson returning to the eleven as captain, while Liv Giles started in goal. Jess Sandland, Phoebe Baker and Georgia Vaccaro also returned to the XI for the Grecians’ final game at Coach Road this season.
Abbie Britton made five changes from the side that completed their WNL season with a 2-1 win against Gwalia United, with Bow Jackson returning to the XI as captain, while Liv Giles started in goal. Jess Sandland, Phoebe Baker and Georgia Vaccaro also returned to the XI for the Grecians’ final game at Coach Road this season.
First half
After a tight opening 10 minutes, where neither side could gain a foothold, City began to threaten down the wing. Playing opposite to her regular side, the skipper Jackson twice created good opportunities from the left, with her first a through ball towards Vaccaro, which was cleared after the young forward attempted a cut-back.
Then, after a period of fantastic one-touch football allowed the Grecians to bypass the Argyle midfield, Jackson sent a looping first-time cross into the area, once again finding Vaccaro, but her direct header went narrowly wide.
Argyle began to grow into the game and hold possession, and after a warning shot from Ellie Noble flew over the bar, the Pilgrims took the lead in the 24th minute, as a first-time cross from the right was headed down into the bottom corner by Phoebie Poole.
That lead was quickly doubled less than two minutes later, when Argyle broke down the opposite wing and whipped a low ball across the box, which was fired first time into the top corner by Charlotte Whitmore.
The game calmed down somewhat from there, but in the 33rd minute the Grecians thought they had a strong case to have pulled a goal back. A deep free-kick was sent into the box by Sandland and headed goalwards by Fearne Slocombe. While her header was clawed away by the goalkeeper, the ball had appeared to have crept over the line first. However, the referee and assistant waved away any calls from the Grecians.
Responding with two headed chances of their own, Argyle threatened to go three up just five minutes later when Una Lue first headed against the underside of the bar, before Tamara Wilcock flicked a cross wide.
Second half
City began the second half looking like a team intent on quickly fighting their way back into the game. Moving the ball across the top of the penalty area, Stacey found Ishbel Zuurmond out on the left and her quick feet forced a corner.
Curling in a wicked cross, Sandland almost sent the ball directly into the back of the net had it not been for an Argyle head on the line. City’s number six almost repeated the trick with the following corner, but this time goalkeeper Herminie Cull kept her side two goals ahead.
The Pilgrims’ Lue then fired wide before a moment of confusion at the County Ground. A firm but fair challenge by Slocombe won the ball off Wilcock in the Grecians’ penalty box, but the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. After a short delay while Jackson received treatment and both teams consulted the officials, the game restarted with a free-kick to City inside their own box.
City would not get a reprieve for long though, as a fantastic turn inside the box from Poole allowed her to find time and space in front of Giles, before picking her spot in the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0.
Several changes were introduced from the bench and City looked to be forcing their way back into the tie, as Vaccaro’s shot was cleared off the line after Zuurmond’s cut-back. However, Plymouth delivered a sucker punch 20 minutes from time as Wilcock curled a strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
The Grecians were then forced to rely on several good saves and crucial interceptions from the backline to keep the score at four as Argyle piled on the pressure late on. However, after failing to clear a corner, the Pilgrims netted a fifth. Finding space at the back post, Argyle captain Giota Papaioannou took a touch and volleyed into the roof of the net.
The goal of the evening came as the match crept into added time, and gave City fans something to cheer as it came from a player in red and white. Finding a pocket of space centrally over 40 yards from goal, Gillies looked up and hit a rocket which powered over the keeper Cull and into the back of the net for a consolation.
However, it ultimately wasn't enough as City succumbed to defeat in the Devon Challenge Cup Final.
Exeter City Women: Giles, Jackson (C), Seaman (Poole, 56’), Slocombe, Sandland, Baker (Toogood, 65’), Burridge, Zuurmond, Stacey (Sara, 56’), Vaccaro, Gillies.
Substitutes not used: Bond (GK).
Goal: Gillies 90'