Blackpool 0

Argyle 1
Sawyer 86

IF Argyle stay up, then people will look back on this very cold spring afternoon in Blackpool as the reason why.

Argyle, fantastic in the first half, not so good for a large period of the second but brilliant for the last 15 minutes grabbed a valuable three points to really aid the survival hopes.

The single goal, scored four minutes from time from the unlikely Gary Sawyer, was sourced from a man of the match Paul Gallagher corner to move the Pilgrims four points clear of relegation.

With a full pool (no pun intended) of players to choose from, Argyle manager Paul Sturrock opted for an unchanged line-up to the side that faced Burnley two weeks earlier.

However, on the bench sat Rudi Douala, hero of Argyle recent Reserves success, eager for a run out in the Championship.

Blackpool's attacking line-up included the regular names of DJ Campbell and Brett Omerod but was boosted by the arrival of Oldham's Lee Hughes, signed on an emergency loan with a view to a permanent move when the window re-opens in July.

After a minute's silence in memory of Blackpool legend Hughie Kelly, the game kicked off to rapturous applause from the two (yes, two) sides of the ground.

Argyle started brightly and were a whisker away from going ahead in the fifth minute when Marcel Seip arrived just a few moments late to get a touch on Gallagher's long corner.

Blackpool were dominating possession but were failing to penetrate. New boy Lee Hughes was deemed to be off-side on a number of occasions but other than that, the home side hadn't offered a lot.

The main attacking outlet for the Pilgrims had been through Gallagher on the left-hand flank. Everytime he got the ball he looked like he might do something with it and went closest in the 14th minute with a dipping shot that landed on the roof of the net.

Despite the skill and finesse shown by Gallagher to make such a chance, credit is due to Sawyer who ran nearly the length of the pitch to create the decoy for the Scot to find space.

Argyle had now begun to look lively and had a number of half-chance in the space of a few minutes as they looked for an opening. Firstly, Ashley Barnes' flick-on was gobbled up by Paul Rachubka before Mackie could get a touch, and then Karl Duguid's somewhat optimistic long-range effort bobbled past the left-hand post.

But Blackpool weren't here to be beaten and were, like Argyle, showing glimpses of what they were capable of. Larrieu had a few semi-saves to make before a cracking row Z, sliding challenge by David Gray averted the danger as the Tangerines broke forward.

It was Argyle's set-pieces that were causing the Blackpool defence trouble. They clearly hadn't learned from Seip's earlier chance and were almost punished again when 'keeper Rachubka felt the need to coming running from his goal to punch away Gallagher's next corner.

Then, perhaps the biggest chance of the game went begging. When David Gary marched clear from his own box with the ball at his feet, he launched Karl Duguid into a one on three situation. The Argyle skipper beat one, he beat two but ran into the third and sent a weak deflected shot trickling past the post.

From the resulting corner, Rachubka made another hash of clearing his lines and again came running out. Judge looked like he might shoot but passed, Gallagher looked like he might shoot but passed until eventually Mackie's shot went wide.

As the half-time whistle blew, it was clear that Blackpool were on the rack. In the second-half, Argyle had to turn the screw.

But, if that's what they were trying to do, then they had a funny way of showing it and a shaky first five minutes presented Lee Hughes with a great opportunity that he just bent round Le Keeper's left-hand post.

Another let-off followed soon after when midfielder Charlie Adam's strike was ruled out for a foul. Argyle had to improve and quickly.

The Pilgrims gained a brief moment of respite when Craig Cathcart suffered a knock that saw him replaced by Chris Barker.

The game was descended into a punt and hope affair with Blackpool's quicker strikers getting the run of the play. A change was needed desperately.

Blackpool continued to pile on the pressure and again came close through Charlie Adam.

Against the run of play, Alan Judge went close but he was replaced soon after by Chris Clark.

But the tables were turning and it was Duguid again who could have won it of the Pilgrims. Just as it looked like the attack was fading out, Gallagher whipped in a fantastic cross for Duguid, who arrived totally unmarked, with the goal at his mercy, to head just over.

Then the goal that Argyle's first-half form deserved and it came, predictably from a Gallagher corner. With a penalty box full of orange shirts, Gallagher's sumptuous deleivery was met by Sawyer, who rose high to head in for his second goal of the season.

The 820 Argyle fans on the far side went wild in celebration of a fantastic win.