Oxford United Women made it five wins in a row in the Southern Premier Division, beating Plymouth Argyle Women 2-0 at Court Place Farm this afternoon.
Tash Stephens and Amy Goddard put the U's two goals ahead at the break, both heading home Naomi Cole deliveries.
Although United saw a lot of the ball in the opening fifteen, they weren’t at the level of their recent high standards and didn’t fashion many opportunities.
Rose Kite was forced to work hard from the start, when Charlotte Whitmore got in behind and the United keeper had to come out to sweep the ball away. A bit of a wake up call for United and a reminder that Argyle’s wingers are fast and direct.
The U’s best early chance came in the 14th minute, when Stephens arrived unmarked at the back post from Cole’s corner but headed her effort wide as she stooped to make contact.
Five minutes later and another Cole delivery found a Yellow shirt at the back post, this time skipper Riva Casley rattling the cross bar from her side footed volley.
Plymouth were frustrating Oxford, but Carly Johns stood strong and won multiple free kicks as the visiting defence nibbled at her heels. She had her first chance of the game, late for her standards, in the 32nd minute, when Stephens found her feet in the box. The striker turned and shot but Plymouth got a vital block in.
It just wasn’t sticking in the same way for United as it had done in recent weeks, but as it has done all season, Cole’s crossing ability came in handy.
First, her deep corner was met by Stephens unmarked at the back stick again, and she headed home from a yard out to give United the lead with ten minutes of the half to play.
That goal really helped United’s confidence, and dampened Plymouth’s. Daisy McLachlan curled a left footed effort onto the top of the net and right on the stroke of half time they found a second, again via a Cole set piece.
This time Goddard towered above the rest and thumped Cole’s delivery, this time sent into the box with her left foot, past Jasmine Read to give the U’s some breathing room at the break.
Plymouth didn't learn from their mistakes, and persisted to foul United players in dangerous positions, setting up Cole with more opportunities to weild her right (or left) boot. In the 56th minute, she curled one just wide of the left post with Read sprawling across te goal.
Just after the hour mark, United made a sqitch, with goalscorer Stephens being replaced by Lacy Liggett. She almost had an instant impact, latching on to an immaculate switch of play from McLachlan and striking first time on to the foot of the post.
Taome Oliver, Jenna Legg and Johns then made way for Leah Burridge, Iesha Swaby and Jaime Gotch, and the game settled down.
United knocked the ball round well, Liggett clipped the cross bar, McLachlan had a curling effort tipped round the post by Read, and in the end they comfortably saw out the victory and their first clean sheet since January.
Five wins in a row, with five games to go. A huge game on the horizon, as United travel to Ipswich next weekend in a first versus second clash.
ATTENDANCE: 314
LINEUP: Kite, Provan, Goddard, Casley, Stevens, Cole, Legg (Swaby 77), Oliver (Burridge 66), McLachlan, Johns (Gotch 85), Stephens (Liggett 61)
Report by Billy Lawrence, pictures Darrell Fisher