Venue: University of South Wales Sports Park
Date: Sunday, 27 April
Kick-off: 14:00 BST
Coverage: Live text commentary and Watch Live function on the gwaliaunited.com website. Also radio coverage on BBC Radio Devon and on the BBC Sounds App
Plymouth Argyle travel to South Wales on the final day of the Women’s National League season knowing that only a win against Gwalia United will give them a realistic chance of climbing above Billericay Town and potentially escaping relegation. Meanwhile, it will be an emotional afternoon for Gwalia, as club favourite Libby Piggott prepares to play her final match before hanging up her boots signalling the end of her career at the club.
The stakes could hardly be higher for the visitors. Plymouth sit just inside the relegation zone and are dependent not only on collecting all three points, but also on favourable results elsewhere both within the National Tier and in the Championship if they are to solidify their status in the division. Plymouth will draw confidence from their last encounter with Gwalia, a thrilling 4-3 victory at Home Park earlier this season. That match was a showcase of attacking football, with Ellie Sara the standout performer as she netted a stunning hat-trick.
While there is less riding on the game for Gwalia in terms of league position — a mid-table finish beckons— Sunday will be far from a dead rubber. All eyes in the home camp will be on the popular figure of Libby Piggott, who will make her final appearance after five years of service to the club. The left back has been a stalwart for Gwalia through their rise up the tiers of the women’s game and will be remembered as one of the cornerstones of the club’s modern era.
“Libby has meant everything to this team — her leadership, her consistency, her passion,” said Gwalia manager James Thomas. “and we want to send her off the right way.”
Gwalia will be buoyed by the chance to end the season on a high. The last three fixtures of both teams — against title contenders Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Watford — have tested their resolve, with results offering little insight into their true form. Gwalia’s effervescent and young team – the median age against Watford in the previous game being less than 21 – will want to prove that gaining experience at this level can coexist with being competitive and put foundations for a strong future.
The reverse fixture at Home Park was the highest-scoring match of Plymouth’s season and one of the most entertaining games in the league calendar. Both sides are known more for their attacking approach, and with both the hosts and the visitors desperate for a win, goals may be on the cards again. This final-day clash has all the ingredients for drama — a relegation scrap, a club favourite’s farewell, and two sides who play with open, expressive styles. Plymouth having significant jeopardy on the line and Gwalia’s desire to end the campaign on a positive note, could make this one of the standout matches of the weekend.
This weekends game is also Gwalia’s allocated Charity Partnership with “Rachel’s Day” Sepsis Charity – a cause close to the hearts and minds of those at Gwalia United.
