Yzzy Taylor | We stood up to the physical challenge

Swansea City Women head coach Yzzy Taylor was pleased with the way her side stood up to a physical test as they continued their unbeaten start to pre-season with a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle Women.

A first-half strike from Taite Trivett proved the difference at Foulston Park, as the Swans made it two wins and two clean sheets from their opening two pre-season fixtures.

The Swans had opportunities to extend their advantage through Caitlin Williams and Lowri Jones, while goalkeepers Opal Rayner and Amelia Forkings both produced good saves to deny Plymouth's Shana Dolbel in either half.

Plymouth provided a different test for Taylor's side, with the Pilgrims further into their preparations ahead of the start of their league campaign next weekend.

Taylor felt her side dealt well with the physical challenge posed by the hosts and was particularly pleased with their work out of possession.

"It was another positive performance. I think it was a different challenge because Plymouth are at a slightly different stage of their pre-season to us, with their season starting next week, and we were prepared for that,” she said.

"It was a really physical game and tested us a lot out of possession, but I thought we were robust enough and really stood up to the challenge.

"We spoke about the fundamentals during the week and what our non-negotiables are in terms of the different shapes we play. To see those becoming more evident as the weeks go on is really positive.

"Physicality is something we want to continue to challenge ourselves with. It's still an area we can improve on, but I thought the girls were great today.

"We had plenty of chances in the game. We hit the post and the bar and created some really good opportunities. I don't think the 1-0 scoreline really reflects the game because we were on the front foot for large parts of it.

"You can't lose a game if you keep a clean sheet, and it's important that we set that standard. Hopefully, that's something we can continue to maintain throughout pre-season and then take into the league campaign."

Pre-season has also provided opportunities for younger members of the squad who played regularly for the under-19s last season, with Rayner, Jones and Darcie Trow among those earning valuable minutes in Devon.

Taylor believes those opportunities demonstrate the pathway being developed between the club's under-19 and first-team setups.

"Giving opportunities to younger players is what pre-season is about. It's important to get the right people into the environment, but it's just as important to give our academy players opportunities to perform,” she added.

"I think the pathway we're creating between the first team and the under-19s is becoming really evident. Opal, Lowri and Darcie all earned their minutes today and I thought they all did really well."

Another trip over the Severn Bridge is next for the Swans, who face Bristol City Under-21s on Wednesday, and Taylor says her side will need to match the young Robins' energy as they continue to build towards the start of their Genero Adran Premier campaign in September.

"It's a short turnaround now with a different challenge against Bristol City Under-21s on Wednesday. They're a team we've played in the last couple of pre-season campaigns and we know they'll be a youthful side with bags of energy. It's up to us to match that, and it'll be another different challenge that we'll be ready for,” she concluded.