Women's clash with leaders a good gauge of team progress

PLYMOUTH Argyle Women will get a good gauge of their progress under head coach Marie Hourihan and the potential for further improvement in a top-of-the-table clash against AFC Bournemouth at Home Park tomorrow.

- By CHRIS ERRINGTON

It will be an opportunity for the Green Army to get their football fix this weekend with the men's team not in League One action this weekend due to international call-ups.

Argyle are third in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division after winning four and drawing one of their first six games. Their only defeat was 2-0 away to Watford, who are currently in second position behind table-topping Bournemouth.

Admission to Home Park on Sunday is £2.50 for men's team season ticket holders, £5 for adults and it is free for under-14s. Hourihan is hoping her inform team will have plenty of support behind them.

"The club have been brilliant in terms of pushing it to the forefront and getting it out there that we are playing this weekend and encouraging as many people as we can to come down," Hourihan told Herald Sport.

"I say this all the time, people that probably haven't seen the women's team play before, they come down, they watch and they are like 'Actually this is really good.' That's all we are trying to do, open the minds of more people and get them to see it's a good game of football.

"There are some fantastic players that are here so I would just really encourage them to come down and sample it, and enjoy it."

Hourihan left Stoke City in the summer to take up Argyle's head coach role and she has overseen some good results while adding a number of new faces to the squad as well.

Not only are Argyle third in the Southern Premier Division with 13 points from six games, they won all three of their group games in the FAWNL Cup, and will be away to Watford in the first round of that competition next weekend.

"When you put the numbers like that, you can't not be pleased with it," admitted Hourihan. "I said when I came in there was a lot of work to be done.