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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 12:20 pm
Well we couldn't quite make it 5 wins in a row at Home Park, but by my reckoning that's FOURTEEN consecutive matches in Devon without defeat since returning to the Football League.
We should have won yesterday of course, but never really got going. Plymouth caused us problems of our own but were there for the taking. Our midfield and forwards were uncharacteristically hesitant on the ball, and time and again the wrong decision was taken or the ball was nicked away before the trigger was pulled. The poor pitch should probably take some of the blame, but why neither Hylton, Bowery nor Sercombe got a shot away when clean through with only the keeper to beat is a mystery and a source of great frustration.
As so often recently against the Pilgrims it was an open, exciting contest. Reid returned to the starting line-up for them after a long lay-off and did his best to bully us, but Dunkley had clearly been detailed to mark him at all times and gave as good as he got. Where they really caused us problems though was at set pieces and crosses into the box - I suspect Plymouth were delighted to see Slocombe's name on the team sheet as he lived up to his reputation for staying firmly rooted to his line in the face of an aerial bombardment. That's not to say he was at fault for either of the goals (I'd have to see the highlights to judge that) but he didn't inspire confidence and once or twice his teammates were berating him for not having taken charge at a corner. He did pull off a couple of fine saves though, including a wickedly-dipping free-kick where no-one seemed to be expecting a shot at all.
Not sure whether Skarz was injured, but Jordan Evans' inclusion definitely worked to our advantage as his pace prevented Plymouth from getting round the back on several occasions when I think our regular left-back might have been struggling. Mullins seemed a bit nervy though, and dwelt on the ball a couple of times instead of getting rid.
Ruffles looked ok in midfield, but Sercs had one of the poorest games I've seen from him. Although he lasted the 90 minutes his energy levels clearly dropped at times. With a few games under his belt Bowery is looking more like a decent player rather than just a poacher, and Roofe's strength on the ball is a real asset, but we couldn't get him involved as much as we'd have liked. Danny Hylton was his usual self, causing all sorts of problems but he was most guilty of holding on to the ball too long. Had we been more decisive and incisive we could have taken Plymouth apart, as shown by our beautifully-worked second goal. But it wasn't to be.
Can't be too disappointed though - I'd have taken a point before the game, and although we should have been well clear before they equalised, at 2-2 they came close to scoring a few times. It's just the thought of how the table might have looked had we converted our superiority into goals.
Nice to see a good number of yellows making the trip down for once - it's a good, friendly place to watch football. Was slightly alarming when the away end seemed to get pelted with rocks from outside the stadium in the second half though. Luckily it's well enough built and enclosed not to have been too worrying, even with young kids in attendance.
We should have won yesterday of course, but never really got going. Plymouth caused us problems of our own but were there for the taking. Our midfield and forwards were uncharacteristically hesitant on the ball, and time and again the wrong decision was taken or the ball was nicked away before the trigger was pulled. The poor pitch should probably take some of the blame, but why neither Hylton, Bowery nor Sercombe got a shot away when clean through with only the keeper to beat is a mystery and a source of great frustration.
As so often recently against the Pilgrims it was an open, exciting contest. Reid returned to the starting line-up for them after a long lay-off and did his best to bully us, but Dunkley had clearly been detailed to mark him at all times and gave as good as he got. Where they really caused us problems though was at set pieces and crosses into the box - I suspect Plymouth were delighted to see Slocombe's name on the team sheet as he lived up to his reputation for staying firmly rooted to his line in the face of an aerial bombardment. That's not to say he was at fault for either of the goals (I'd have to see the highlights to judge that) but he didn't inspire confidence and once or twice his teammates were berating him for not having taken charge at a corner. He did pull off a couple of fine saves though, including a wickedly-dipping free-kick where no-one seemed to be expecting a shot at all.
Not sure whether Skarz was injured, but Jordan Evans' inclusion definitely worked to our advantage as his pace prevented Plymouth from getting round the back on several occasions when I think our regular left-back might have been struggling. Mullins seemed a bit nervy though, and dwelt on the ball a couple of times instead of getting rid.
Ruffles looked ok in midfield, but Sercs had one of the poorest games I've seen from him. Although he lasted the 90 minutes his energy levels clearly dropped at times. With a few games under his belt Bowery is looking more like a decent player rather than just a poacher, and Roofe's strength on the ball is a real asset, but we couldn't get him involved as much as we'd have liked. Danny Hylton was his usual self, causing all sorts of problems but he was most guilty of holding on to the ball too long. Had we been more decisive and incisive we could have taken Plymouth apart, as shown by our beautifully-worked second goal. But it wasn't to be.
Can't be too disappointed though - I'd have taken a point before the game, and although we should have been well clear before they equalised, at 2-2 they came close to scoring a few times. It's just the thought of how the table might have looked had we converted our superiority into goals.
Nice to see a good number of yellows making the trip down for once - it's a good, friendly place to watch football. Was slightly alarming when the away end seemed to get pelted with rocks from outside the stadium in the second half though. Luckily it's well enough built and enclosed not to have been too worrying, even with young kids in attendance.