Ten games in and yet to manage a win in the league, the Matt Green Era is well underway for Argyle Women.
I’m sure nobody expected this to be easy. After the summer’s budget cuts and well-documented squad release, Argyle went into the 2026/27 National Women’s League Premier Division season with a rashly-assembled squad predominantly made up of teenagers lifted from the youth set up most of whom were untested at the level followed by a pre-season that saw them score just once in 5 games – Farah Ambrose notching the opener against local side Marine Academy Plymouth in a 1-1 draw at Erme Valley.
That draw was sandwiched by four defeats in which they conceded 15 times. 7 of those came against Bridgwater United, though they had to start that game with a striker in goal. Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City both notched 3 times; Swansea scraped a 1-0 win.
The signings of Defenders Ellie Bishop (Norwich City’s first ever female professional) and Aliyat Lambe (AFC Wimbledon) alongside Striker Laura Curnock (Cardiff City) has, on paper, improved the squad and brought much needed league experience to the fold. Midfielder Hana Bennett (Bridgwater United) has previously been exceptional at this level but is out long term through injury.
Moving into the league Argyle’s fixture list could be considered somewhat favourable; opening the campaign away at fellow relegation candidates Swindon Town before hosting AFC Wimbledon, who managed to just stay up by the skin of their teeth the season before, however they succumbed to two defeats. 10 conceded. 6 of those to the Wombles without reply.
Shana Dolbel, arguably Argyle’s best prospect, and the aforementioned Ellie Bishop (not to be confused with the other Ellie Bishop) did manage to bag at the County Ground. Argyle’s most encouraging performance in the league, so far, came on the opening day.
The FAWNL Cup saw Argyle face Marine Academy Plymouth again at Erme Valley. There is some mystery around the tie as Argyle were initially the nominated home team but it is believed, though unconfirmed, that Foulston Park failed to meet the FA’s criteria to host the game – if true, could this potentially be a damning indictment of the multi-million pound project?
Second half goals from Shana Dolbel and Khloe Reed turned around the 1-0 deficit at half-time to collect three points.
For those who aren’t aware; the FA Women’s National League Cup follows a similar set up to the Football League Trophy, in which groups of four compete – the top team continues in the Cup while second place drops into the plate.
A heavy defeat to Fulham followed at Motspur Park with the Cottagers winning 5-0, impressively extending their unbeaten run to 50 games having not lost since April 2024.
Another pre-season opponent was again faced in the Cup; Jasmine Read’s Bridgwater United, of the division below, beating Argyle 2-0.
Back to the league and Portsmouth came down to Plymouth and cruised to a 4-0 win. Three members of their squad called Home Park home last season and one of those, defender Arabella Suttie, opened the scoring with an audacious lob from miles out. The League’s ‘Best Goalkeeper’ Award Winner Hermione Cull keeping a clean sheet. Some may call that karma.
League leaders Oxford United were up next: 5-0 defeat.
Four games against varying levels of opposition: 0 goals scored, 16 conceded. Despite that dry spell, and lack of points, some small positives have since begun to emerge but mostly in the cup.
| Date | Opponent | Comp | H/A | Score | Argyle scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct | Cheltenham Town | League | A | L 1-4 | Laura Curnock |
| 4 Oct | Real Bedford | League | H | L 1-3 | Shana Dolbel |
| 27 Sep | Torquay United | FAWNL Cup | H | W 1-0 | Brooklyn Brothers |
| 20 Sep | Oxford United | League | A | L 0-5 | |
| 13 Sep | Portsmouth | League | H | L 0-4 | |
| 6 Sep | Bridgwater United | FAWNL Cup | A | L 0-2 | |
| 30 Aug | Fulham | League | A | L 0-5 | |
| 26 Aug | Marine Academy Plymouth | FAWNL Cup | H | W 2-1 | Shana Dolbel, Khloe Reed |
| 23 Aug | AFC Wimbledon | League | H | L 0-6 | |
| 16 Aug | Swindon Town | League | A | L 2-4 | Ellie M Bishop, Shana Dolbel |
Time for Positives
Ryan Perks’ Torquay United came to Home Park to round off the FANWL Cup Group Stage in a game dedicated to Roxy Thomas.
Again, Argyle’s handling of the women’s team has been poor, however they deserve immense credit for their decision to donate all ticket proceeds and sponsorship to Roxy’s fundraiser, as the former Argyle full-back is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, raising £2,928. Just over 1,000 were inside Home Park to witness Brooklyn Brothers’ goal, a free-kick on her first start of the season, and Olivia Giles’ first Clean Sheet in a 1-0 win for the Greens.
Argyle qualified for the FAWNL Plate after missing out on top spot in the group to Bridgwater United on goal difference; Arsenal’s U21s await.
Since the win over Torquay the margins have tightened in the league somewhat too. After conceding four or more in five of the first seven games, Argyle have lost the last two games by ‘just’ two and three goals to Real Bedford (1-3) and Cheltenham Town (1-4) respectively; Laura Curnock converting from the spot in the latter to collect her first goal in Green.
Recent signing Cadi Rodgers, who started the Torquay United and Real Bedford games before missing the Cheltenham trip after being called up to represent Wales (something Argyle fans are used to with Tiannar Teiser, Olivia Francis and Phoebie Poole featuring in multiple camps last season) should help shore up the back line.
They have also scored in three straight games, having managed only two goals in the five before that. It is not yet the stuff of points, but it is progress.
The National League table makes for reading as brutal as a Paul Berne email: Argyle sit bottom with zero points with a goal difference of minus 27. However, one positive would be that against local sides Argyle have more than held their own which bodes well for the current squad next season after our near certain relegation.
Though it’s easy to be negative about the current state of play, I personally feel incredibly sorry for the girls, being thrashed every week is not good for anyone, especially youngsters who’ve been thrown into the lions den.
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 31 | -27 |
| Cups | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| All competitions | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 34 | -27 |
Individuals
Not to go all Adam Price, but I have been keeping tabs on things this season:
If the End of Season awards dinner was tonight I’d have no doubt that Shana Dolbel would be picking up a few accolades, having scored nearly half of Argyle’s goals while looking like a very bright spark capable of dragging the team along by its collar; she maybe one destined for appearances higher up the ladder in years to come.
Nobody else in the squad has notched more than one, with Captain Ellie M Bishop, Laura Curnock, Brooklyn Brothers and Khloe Reed all off the mark.
While Olivia Giles and Aliyat Lambe are the only two to have played every possible minute, Curnock (899 minutes), Dolbel (892) and Reed (881) are close behind, and all five have started all ten games.
Kennedy Garside and Chloe Ingrouille have appeared in all ten games, mixing starts and sub appearances, while Phoebe Bettey has come off the bench eight times.
Lambe, Ellie M Bishop and Farrah Ambrose lead the bookings with two yellow cards each.
No Red cards – yet.
| Leaderboard | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Shana Dolbel | 3 |
| Assists | Kiesha Walker | 1 |
| Minutes | Olivia Giles, Aliyat Lambe | 900 |
| Captaincies | Ellie M Bishop | 9 |
| Clean sheets | Olivia Giles | 1 |
What’s Next?
Two home games and a derby in ten days will shape the autumn; starting with last season’s FA Women’s National League Cup Final opponents AFC Bournemouth at home on Sunday.
After beating us 1-0 in the showpiece final up at Loftus Road many had hoped Argyle would have kicked on and continued to compete for silverware, instead members of our side that day return to Home Park having signed for the Cherries; Ella Stowell (daughter of men’s goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell), Caitlin Smith and Tamara Wilcock were just three of those extradited. Georgia Wilson also returns, though her departure far more amicable, if I remember correctly.
The FA Cup tie with Millwall Lionesses should be looked upon as a chance to build on the cup form before the Big One. Exeter City at Home.
After the Torquay win, this Argyle side know how to win a derby, though this one will be a huge step up in opposition most with a huge point to prove. Long serving Argyle captain Panagiota ‘Giota’ Papaioannou is the headline name in a Grecians side littered with former Greens; Bow Jackson, Charlotte Whitmore and Ellie Sara to name a few off the top of my head. That blow is softened some what as Olivia Giles, an Argyle fan seemingly since birth, made the move the other way to become our first choice between the sticks in the summer.