But these games are the ones they play for, boss Helen Bleazard said, with the team taking each game as it comes and continuing to do so, even at crunch time in the campaign.
Heading into Sunday’s game at the Ringwood Community Hub, the sides are separated by one place and three points in the National League Southern Premier Division.
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Plymouth are second with Bournemouth in third, with both fighting for both automatic promotion with Watford or for the playoff spot in second position.
The Cherries have two games in hand over the Devon side, though, and they’ll be looking to draw themselves level with Argyle to maintain their advantage in the race for the top two.
Looking ahead to both that game and the cup final at QPR’s Loftus Road, Bleazard told the Daily Echo: “I always say these are the games that you play for.
Helen Bleazard (Image: AFC Bournemouth)
“You don't play for the games where you win 7, 8, 9-nil. These are the games that test you.
“We drew against them 0-0, which was actually a great 0-0, as much as it sounds, and we had more opportunities in that game to go and win that game.
“So yeah, we've had the game against Watford this season. We've had Real Bedford where we've had to step up and we've also had the challenges of where we've lost to Oxford and obviously picked up the draws with Exeter and Hashtag.
“So yeah, I mean, these are the games. They are both very, very different games where we're not going into it reading too far ahead.
“I've always said we take it game by game, and as soon as the Exeter game finished, it was reflect, move on, and then go straight into this week focusing on Plymouth.”
Promotion to the WSL2 is a realistic prospect now for the Cherries in their first season in the third tier.
But Bleazard said she is not using that as motivation at this stage – as she doesn’t need to.
“They've got their own goals and what they want to achieve this year, and for some of them, they've talked about it openly that promotion is something that they've put themselves in a really good position for,” she said.
Katie James (Image: Richard Crease)
“So yeah, obviously if we're in that position at the end of the season, then of course as a team you're going to go for it.
“But there's not that pressure. There's a lot of pressure from outside.
“We've had people talk about us being the favourites to win the cup. I don't see it as that at all. I think it's completely even and it's whoever performs better on the day.
“I think that's what's going to happen on Sunday, whoever performs better on the day. We do our homework with that, and like I said, we go into these games knowing what we can do as a team, but we have to be respectful for the opposition.
“The Watford game, it could have been a 2-2, they could have won the game 3-2, and we've been lucky to nick it at the end.
“So yeah, like I said, we take it game by game, we don't put too much pressure on, but as soon as they step over the line and the whistle goes, it's game on, and that competitive edge just takes over.”