Hourihan on positive showing against Wolves
Argyle Women were defeated for the first time in pre-season on Sunday afternoon, but still put up a valiant effort in a 2-1 loss to a strong Wolverhampton Wanderers side at Home Park.
Layla Proctor’s first-half header gave the Greens the advantage heading into the break, but two goals from the visitors, thanks to Charlotte Greengrass and Amy Simms in the second 45, secured victory for the Midlands side.
Despite being on the losing side at the full-time whistle, Argyle’s intensity, bravery on the ball and understanding impressed Head Coach Marie Hourihan, leaving her happy with the overall performance.
“Coming in today, we knew it was going to be a really difficult test,” she told Argyle TV after the tie. “Wolves are a good side and they'll be competing at the top end of the Northern Division, so I thought this was a perfect barometer to see where we are, and the areas we need to get a little better at. My biggest thing today was to see the personality of the players, because I knew Wolves were going to come here, press and be aggressive.
“We’ve done lots of work in terms of trying to dominate games with the ball, so in the first half I was really pleased. I thought we applied ourselves well, caused Wolves loads of problems and showed bravery on the ball. We created three or four really good opportunities and took the lead from a set play, which is always pleasing to make a good start in that area.
“Yes, Wolves did have a couple of chances from set plays, so we were pleased to be going in one-nil up at halftime. If we had taken our chances and had been a little bit more clinical, that would’ve been good, but overall, I’m very pleased with that performance in the first half.
“In the second half, Wolves stepped it up, made a couple of changes, and brought some real intensity, and I think it probably showed where we are physically, but we knew that coming into the game. It showed a different side to us in the second half, in terms of showing that resiliency to be able to be comfortable being uncomfortable at times because of their momentum. It's disappointing to lose games regardless, but I think in terms of what we wanted to achieve today and the outcomes of our performance overall, I’m really happy.”
I'm under no illusions that Wolves will be in the top two of their league next season, so that’s a really good outcome from us today.
“The players have been brilliant. They've taken on board everything we’ve asked and applied themselves in terms of how we train and what we're trying to do. They must take confidence from today because it takes character to try and play the way that we want to play, and that was the real pleasing aspect for me today, which was that personality.”
Argyle’s opening game of the 2025/26 FAWNL Southern Premier Division campaign is just around the corner, with the Greens hosting Hashtag United at Home Park on Sunday, 17 August.
For many of the squad who played against Wolves, it was their first opportunity to play at the Theatre of Greens in front of the Green Army, who gave their support throughout the afternoon.
Hourihan was delighted with the reaction from the supporters in attendance and how their presence made it tough for Wolves at times, but the Argyle Head Coach is also ensuring preparations are ready for the opening game of the season.
“We wanted a showpiece game for this fixture, where we would have people here at Home Park, and it was almost a test run for the 17th of August. I think the players really rose to the occasion, and the crowd also brought a lot of energy at times when the players needed it. We want to make this place really difficult for opposition teams to come, and I think, if you ask the Wolves manager, I'd like to say that you felt that.
“We’ve got two or three injuries at the moment and picked up a couple today, so now it’s going to be about managing that. We’ll keep working and applying our plan that we've put in place. I'm fully confident that we'll be ready to hit the ground running against Hashtag United.”
You can see the full interview with Marie, and one with goalscorer Layla Proctor, on Argyle TV.
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