Exeter City Women ensured Devon remained Red with three wins out of three against Plymouth Argyle this season, thanks to Sophie Gillies’ second half strike.
City had to be patient against a staunch Pilgrims outfit that had been rejuvenated since a change of management, and had to contend with a dubious ghost goal and the woodwork on two occasions to get the win.
Manager Abbie Britton made four changes to the side that secured a brilliant victory at Oxford United on Sunday, with Fearne Slocombe, Zoe Watkins , Jess Sandland and Mollie Taylor coming into the side.
First half
City had won both Devon derbies this season in league and cup by an aggregate score of 8-1, and a big crowd had turned out at Coach Road the Grecians aimed to make it a hat-trick of wins against the arch rivals.
But it was the visitors who would have the first chance of the game as Roxylea Thomas volleyed Ellie Sara’s header across goal but Abbi Bond coolly held the effort.
Imogen Crawford thought she had given Argyle the lead when her hopeful lofted ball into the area came crashing off the crossbar, before Taylor pulled off a heroic goal-line clearance to ensure City did not fall behind early on.
Sarah Stacey nodded Sandland’s free-kick just wide from close range as the Grecians registered their first chance of the game as they tried to wrestle control of the contest that had already shown early signs of intrigue.
Stacey and Baker then forced a defensive error from Argyle, as the latter picked up the loose ball and unleashed an effort from range that flew just over. Sophie Gillies then headed another Sandland delivery wide as the number of chances fell in favour of the hosts.
Stacey then thought she’d given City the lead with an acrobatic volley. She was somehow denied by the outstretched boot of Chloe Felgate, which took the ball away from the lurking Gillies who would have otherwise had a tap-in, despite many in the crowd thinking it was 1-0 to the Grecians. Camera footage suggested Britton would certainly have had a case to feel aggrieved.
Undeterred, City pressed again and it was the hand of Felgate that would deny Baker this time from an acute angle. Slocombe sent a header wide from the resultant corner.
Watkins and Argyle’s Charlotte Whitmore were both shown yellow cards after a tussle on half-way that saw tempers flare following a foul on Bow Jackson. After an amicable first half an hour, this was a reminder that this was a derby match after all.
From the free-kick, Stacey volleyed over as City continued to be frustrated by a tight Argyle back-line that then moments later cleared a Gillies effort behind for a corner.
Second Half
Britton made one change at the break, switching Watkins out for Ishbel Zuurmond.
Amber Pollock, after being marked in the first half, was enjoying more freedom in the early stages of the second and had two early chances. The first a rasping effort that dipped just wide, before a second on the swivel drifted to the right of the post.
Gillies was denied by the wall from a set-piece, but her second effort came close to breaking the deadlock as she took a touch before unleashing a ferocious effort just wide of the wide. The chances kept coming as Zuurmond was prevented by the crossbar with Felgate beaten, her effort coming from 25-yards out.
Gillies and Stacey combined again to no avail, but it wasn’t all one way traffic as a rare Argyle foray forward resulted in Whitmore dragging her effort wide as they threatened a smash and grab job.
Perseverance was the name of the game for the Grecians, and Gillies got the goal she deserved and she broke free from a delightful through ball and poked the ball home at the second attempt past Felgate, who had saved her initial shot.
Not ones to sit back and defend their lead, however, those in red and white were quickly on the hunt for a second.
Somehow it wasn’t two as Zuurmond, who wreaked havoc since her half-time introduction, found space on the left hand side and dragged the ball across the face of goal where Stacey would have converted if she had timed her run just a second earlier.
Beth Ireland then had a pop from the edge of the area, but her shot sailed over in what was the last chance of the game.
The final whistle marked a third Devon Derby win of the season for City’s Women, and that took them level on points with second placed Ipswich Town in the FAWNL Southern Premier table.
City are next in action against Cheltenham Town on Sunday 23 March, 2pm at St James Park. Be there!
Exeter City XI: Bond (GK), Jackson ©, Seaman, Sandland, Slocombe (Ireland 60’) , Baker (Toogood 86’), Stacey, Watkins (Zuurmond 46’), Taylor (Kendell 60’), Gillies (Everson 90’), Pollock
Subs: Giles (GK), Cunningham
Plymouth Argyle XI: Felgate (GK), Thomas (Edwards 82’), Kearnley (Pomfret), Papaioannou, Whitmore, Crawford, Sara (Knott 68’), Wilson (Dickson 55’), Stephens, Kuyken (Orchard 85’), Smith.
Subs: Weeks (GK)
Attendance: 596