Argyle 1
Judge 17
Burnley 2
Caldwell 16
Blake 78
ROBBIE Blake robbed the points for Burnley with a heart-breaking winner 12 minutes from the end of a pulsating game at Home Park.
Steven Caldwell's looping header had broken the deadlock on 15 minutes but Alan Judge equalised for Argyle within 60 seconds after bustling his way into the box and guiding his shot into the far corner.
The Pilgrims played with the sort of verve and belief that belies their perilous position in the division but the magnificent Clarke Carlisle was a rock at the heart of the Clarets' defence, and Blake punished a mistake by Marcel Seip to heap further pressure on Paul Sturrock's fight to retain Argyle's Championship status.
Luggy made just one change to the side that slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at fellow-strugglers Norwich City last weekend.
Gary Sawyer came in at left-back for Chris Barker, who, Luggy admitted, was a selection mistake at Carrow Road, having just returned to the squad after a family bereavement had kept him out of the previous two games.
Steve MacLean was drafted in for a place on the substitutes' bench after his display in Tuesday's comfortable reserve team win over Bristol City. Chris Clark was the man to miss out.
Burnley boss Owen Coyle stuck with the same 16 that battled to an impressive 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town in midweek. Martin Paterson was deemed fit to lead the Clarets' attack after shaking off a slight hamstring strain sustained at Portman Road.
It was a massive game for both clubs for very different reasons. Three points for Argyle would be a big lift in the fight for Championship survival, while Burnley were looking to establish themselves in the play-off positions.
Despite the magnitude of the game, there was a far more important issue being covered at Home Park today. The plan was to hold a one-minute silence as part of the Armed Forces day commemorations but the Green Army, and the Claret Army, had different ideas.
Following an introduction by Argyle's club chaplain, the crowd burst into a spontaneous round of applause. It was a touching moment and arguably a more fitting tribute to the brave servicemen and women of our country.
Attentions turned to the pitch and Burnley almost grabbed the lead after two minutes when a square pass from Wade Elliott found the late run into the box by Chris McCann, whose poked effort was miraculously turned wide by the combined efforts of Craig Cathcart and Karl Duguid.
It was a hugely important intervention, given Argyle's dismal record of coming from behind in the Championship this season, and Burnley's frustration was further deepened by the inexplicable awarding of a goal-kick by the officials.
Argyle eventually settled into the match and the early strategy saw the pace and energy of Jamie Mackie partnering the youthful brawn of Ashley Barnes in attack, with Paul Gallagher and Judge providing width.
The new strike-pairing combined beautifully after 12 minutes, with Barnes's neat touch allowing Mackie to burst forward and unleash a scorching drive from 25 yards that had Brian Jensen scampering across his goal.
It proved a crucial save, as Burnley took the lead moments later. A poor clearance by Seip found its way to Blake on the left-wing and he jinked past David Gray with ease before drifting a delicious cross to the far post.
Caldwell, still forward from the previous set-piece, peeled off the back of Sawyer and planted a perfect header back over Romain Larrieu and into the far corner. It was a bad goal to concede and certainly not the usually steady Seip's finest hour.
Argyle wasted no time in feeling sorry for themselves and equalised within a minute. The impish Judge wriggled past two challenges in the left channel and steered a neat shot into the far corner from a tight angle.
Jensen will possibly be disappointed that he didn't get a stronger hand on the effort but Judge deserves massive credit for his determination to find the space and his composure when faced with Burnley's mountainous goalkeeper.
The Greens were now in the ascendancy and a clever ball inside right-back Rhys Williams by Gallagher found Mackie, but his pass into the box was just behind Barnes.
The tempo of Argyle's play was very encouraging and Gallagher's growing influence on the game was clearly a concern for the visitors, as the man on loan from Blackburn continued to drift inside to dictate play.
Mackie was also enjoying a profitable afternoon and, again, he got the wrong side of Caldwell and squared the ball for Barnes. It seemed the simplest of tap-ins from five yards with Jensen stranded, but Carlisle made a miraculous recovery tackle to save the Clarets.
Burnley threatened a dangerous break from the subsequent corner but Duguid thwarted the surge and fed the ball wide to Judge, who fired in a fantastic cross that shaved the rising head of the unmarked Craig Cathcart at the back post.
Cathcart was involved again minutes later, pulling down Paterson 25 yards from goal in what can only be described as Blake-territory. A gifted craftsman from set-pieces, Blake took aim and curled a lovely free-kick over the wall that was palmed wide by Larrieu.
The half ended with another bizarre Seip error. The Dutchman played a strange pass straight to the grateful Paterson, who burst into the box and laid the ball inside for Blake, who, mercifully, shanked his effort horribly wide with only Larrieu to beat.
Burnley started the second period the brighter team and a terrific spearing cross to the far post by Wade Elliott was guided wide by the head of the covering Duguid. It was another important contribution from the skipper who was having a fine game in the engine room.
Coyle was the first to make a change from the bench, introducing striker jay Rodriguez for the obviously fatigued Chris Eagles. It was a sign of the disjointed nature of the second period after a sizzling first 45 minutes and you felt Argyle were playing a dangerous game by inviting Burnley to attack their back four.
Inevitably, it was Judge who lifted Argyle and Jensen was struggling to contend with another teasing cross from the diminutive winger. The half-clearance from the Burnley keeper looped out to Duguid but his return was cleared to safety by the excellent Carlisle.
Gallagher took inspiration from his opposite winger and sent in fabulous right-footed cross from the left. Judge made a prodigious leap on the far side but he was prevented from getting a clean header away by the challenge of Christian Kalvenes.
The same two Pilgrims combined minutes later with a tremendous ball over the top by Gallagher picking out the run of Judge, but the backspin on the ball allowed the recovering Carlisle to make yet another crucial intervention.
Cathcart was the next to take the defensive plaudits, as he stretched to prevent Paterson profiting from a searching ball into the box by Elliott.
Argyle immediately stormed up the other end and some persistent probing by Fletcher eventually led to Duguid rifling a fearsome drive from the edge of the box inches wide.
Disaster then struck the Greens. Seip reverted back to his first-half performance with a weak header that allowed Blake to surge forward and dispatch an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
The cruel twist was that Blake was apparently moments away from being replaced by Joey Gudjonsson in a clear settle-for-a-point move by Coyle.
Luggy immediately introduced MacLean, Fallon and Noone for Barnes, Judge and Mackie, while Coyle, belatedly, made the change he had planned moments earlier.
Argyle were struggling pick themselves up and a rare Cathcart error was pounced upon by Rodriguez, who took the ball around Larrieu but, in the process, his balance wavered and the final shot was weak enough for the Greens to recover.
A valiant display against a powerful team was to end in vain for the Pilgrims and Luggy now has a huge job to galvanise his troops for the vital trip to Blackpool in a fortnight.
Argyle (4-4-2): 1 Romain Larrieu; 33 David Gray, 22 Craig Cathcart, 19 Marcel Seip, 18 Gary Sawyer; 23 Alan Judge (17 Craig Noone 82), 2 Karl Duguid (capt), 28 Carl Fletcher, 11 Paul Gallagher; 24 Ashley Barnes (14 Rory Fallon 80), 25 Jamie Mackie (9 Steve MacLean 80). Substitutes (not used): 3 Jim Paterson, 5 Krisztián Timár.
Burnley (4-5-1): 12 Brian Jensen; 21 Rhys Williams, 5 Clarke Carlisle, 6 Steven Caldwell, 3 Christian Kalvenes; 2 Graham Alexander, 33 Chris Eagles (19 Jay Rodriguez 58), 16 Chris McCann, 11 Wade Elliott, 20 Robbie Blake (8 Joey Gudjonsson 82); 10 Martin Paterson (4 Michael Duff 89). Substitutes (not used): 1 Diego Penny (GK), 7 Kevin McDonald.
Booked: Williams 71.
Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire).
Attendance: 11,246 (672 away).
