ARGYLE 3
Easter 4
Fallon 25, 55
BLACKPOOL 0
ARGYLE stormed to a comfortable 3-0 win over Blackpool on an emotional final home game of a rollercoaster season.
Rory Fallon grabbed two goals with well-taken headers from Luke Summerfield set-pieces to add gloss to Jermaine Easter's early opener for the Pilgrims.
The Green Army, however, will remember today as the day as the time we said farewell to four Argyle legends. Paul Wotton, Lilian Nalis, Paul Connolly and Lee Hodges were all presented with special mementos after the game.
Manager Paul Sturrock stated on Thursday that the four men would not be involved in today's game after being told their contracts would not be renewed, although Hodgy did end up making a cameo appearance as a late substitute.
As such, it was a much-changed Argyle team to the one that started last Saturday's 2-2 draw with Preston North End. Luke McCormick retained the goalkeeper's jersey behind the central defensive pairing of Russell Anderson and Krisztián Timár.
It was a special day for Timár, who was named captain for the first time and also crowned Argyle's Player of the Season before kick-off.
The Beast of Budapest was marshalling a defence that had utility man Chris Clark operating at right-back instead of Connolly and Gary Sawyer at left-back, with Jim Paterson missing out with a back problem.
Jimmy Abdou kept his place in centre-midfield alongside Luke Summerfield, who was given the task of filling Wottsy's boots for the day. Jamie Mackie and Péter Halmosi provided the width.
Fallon and Easter started up front with Steve MacLean dropping to a bench that also housed Yoann Folly and youngster Dan Smith.
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson made two changes to the team that beat Sheffield wednesday 2-1 last week. Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Stephen Crainey being replaced by Stuart Green and Michael Jackson.
The opening goal could not have been simpler for Argyle as a hopeful punt forward was met by the head of Fallon on the edge of the box, who nodded the ball into Easter's path.
The Welsh international looked to have the lost the chance with a heavy first touch but Blackpool 'keeper Paul Rachubka was slow off his line, and Easter got there first to lift the ball past the flailing arms and into the net.
Fallon looked right in the mood and more clever approach play allowed Easter the chance to ping a left-foot volley, but the effort was wild.
His next attempt was a lot closer; picking up a loose ball in the box, he fired narrowly wide with the Blackpool defence staring accusingly at each other.
Argyle's excellent start warranted more than a single goal but, when it didn't come, the worrying pattern of recent games threatened to emerge, with the Pilgrims inexplicably dropping deep and inviting Blackpool pressure.
Thankfully, the newly crowned Player of the Season urged his team forward and a clever run by Jamie Mackie enabled Easter to win a free-kick from the laborious Blackpool skipper Michael Jackson - not exactly dancing feet.
Halmosi swung in a delightful free-kick that Rachubka tipped over the bar but the reprieve was brief for the beleaguered visitors.
Summerfield curled in an excellent corner for the lively Fallon to power a header past Rachubka from six yards out. If the first goal was simple, the second was about as basic as you could ever hope to find.
It was a surprisingly sluggish performance by the Seasiders, especially with their Championship status not yet mathematically assured.
The Easter - Fallon partnership was working a treat and, with the skill of Halmosi and the energy of Mackie attacking from the wings, Blackpool were not coping with the onslaught.
Given that, the best approach for the Tangerines was to focus on attacking, rather than defending, and they did so with impressive fluency at times.
One particularly swift passing move ended with Claus Jorgensen bombing through the middle but Clark passed his first big test at right-back with an excellent covering tackle.
An exciting first-half drifted to a very satisfactory close for the Pilgrims and the second started with Easter unleashing a powerful drive from an acute angle that a surprised Rachubka almost fumbled into Fallon's path.
The same pair were involved again a minute later with Fallon setting-up Easter for a searing drive that flew inches wide of the post.
Fallon then found himself in the defensive box and was very lucky not to concede a penalty. Wes Hoolahan dinked in a lovely ball for the run of Ian Evatt and Fallon, finding himself in the right-back position, appeared to tug the shirt of Blackpool's midfield general.
A mightily relieved Kiwi trundled back up the other end in time to see Mackie bamboozle Shaun Barker, again, and find Easter with a low cross that the Welsh international did well to divert goalwards, and Rachubka needed good reactions to prevent an Argyle third.
The Tangerine stopper had no chance moments later, however, when Fallon flicked a vicious Summerfield free-kick into the far corner with a superbly deft back-header. It was a cracking finish from another superb Summerfield delivery.
It was turning into something of a procession with Abdou and Summerfield softening the departure of midfield stalwarts Wotton and Nalis with two fine performances in the engine room.
Luggy introduced Smith for his home debut on 75 minutes with Halmosi making way for the sprightly young winger, and he made an immediate impact with lovely footwork and a searching cross to the back post that Jackson turned away for a corner.
Hodges came on for his Home Park swansong with ten minutes remaining and the Green Army rose in unison to pay tribute to an exceptional pro.
Mackie came within a whisker of putting the perfect seal on the day with a fizzing free-kick that Rachubka parried wide of his near post.
Well played Argyle and, to the departing heroes, thanks for the memories.
ARGYLE (4-4-2): 23, Luke McCormick; 6 Chris Clark, 21 Russell Anderson, 5 Kristian Timar (capt), 18 Gary Sawyer; 16 Péter Halmosi (30 Dan Smith 74), 20 Luke Summerfield;26 Nadjim Abdou (17 Lee Hodges 82), 25 Jamie Mackie; 14 Rory Fallon, 36 Jermaine Easter (9 Steve MacLean 69).
Substitutes: 8 Yoann Folly, 13 Mathius Kouo-Doumbe.
Booked:
BLACKPOOL (4-4-2): 1 Paul Rachubka; 25 Shaun Barker, 5 Michael Jackson, 6 Ian Evatt, 17 Kaspars Gorkss; 10 Stuart Green, 4 Keith Southern, 16 Claus Jorgensen, 11 Wes Hoolahan; 8 Stephen McPhee, 37 Paul Dickov (2 Danny Coid 69).
Substitutes: 9 Andrew Morrell; 27 Ben Burgess; 31 Joe Martin; 38 Scott Flinders.
Booked: Jackson 6, Hoolahan 32.
Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire).
Attendance: 12,911 (663 away).
