Argyle 2
Judge 26, Fallon 71
Doncaster Rovers 1
Shiels 29
ARGYLE recorded another three points as they followed up last week's victory at Middlesbrough with a 2-1 win over Doncaster at Home Park.
A goal in each half from Alan Judge and Rory Fallon cancelled out Dean Shiel's strike and sealed the win to take us level on 15 points with Sean O'Driscoll's side.
It was the visitors who applied much of the early pressure with a number of chances in the opening minutes.
John Oster fired wide from just inside the penalty area following a flowing Doncaster move down the left straight from kick-off, before Rovers captain Martin Woods went close with a free-kick from a similar distance.
Luggy - who made one change from last week's line-up against Middlesbrough - brought in Fallon to replace the suspended Carl Fletcher and deployed the New Zealand international wide on the left to counter Rovers' attacking dexterity on the opposite flank.
As both teams settled into the game, we began to dominate proceedings; Jamie Mackie looking menacing and fashioning a chance in the eighth minute. After using his pace to get behind the Doncaster defence wide on the right, the striker was unable to find Alan Gow lurking in the box.
In another must-win game for both teams stuck at the wrong end of the table, the next real chance did not come until the 17th minute; Romain Larrieu equal to Rover Billy Sharp's low shot across goal.
Gow could, and probably should, have opened the scoring two minutes later - skipping past Rovers defender Gareth Roberts in the box before forcing a smart save from veteran 'keeper, Neil Sullivan.
Doncaster - who have not won away from home since April - were once again lucky not to go behind as Fallon started a superb move through the middle, playing a one-two with Gow before an advancing Alan Judge could only power a shot against the side-netting.
Only moments later and Argyle had the lead, Gow playing a good ball in from the left for Judge to place perfectly past Sullivan and send Home Park into raptures.
A couple more moments, however, and a third goal in four games for Doncaster's Dean Shiels rendered the Green Army's celebrations premature. The visiting midfielder had a shot blocked by provider-turned-defender Gow, before following up to smash the rebound past a helpless Ro.
Judgy went close to a second in stoppage time at the end of the first half, bursting through the middle to control a Fallon flick on his chest before being brilliantly challenged by Sam Hird before making any real connection with his shot.
With the rain as relentless as Argyle's inability to display any real conviction, Luggy's men trudged in at half-time rueing another sloppy goal conceded and with the score level at one each.
The teams restarted in bizarre as, five minutes into the second half, referee Paul Taylor showed Doncaster's Woods a second yellow card without realising that the player had already been booked after 44 minutes.
Promptly corrected by all but one section of away fans in Home Park, Taylor realised his mistake and Argyle's job became seemingly easier. Only seemingly, however, as, on 52 minutes, Sam Hird forced a brilliant save from Ro to keep us level.
Mackie - once again looking dangerous down the right channel - almost set up Karl Duguid on the hour mark, playing an inch-perfect driven cross into the box only for an unmarked Duguid to connect poorly with the volley.
Both teams continued to press and Doncaster, apparently buoyed by the loss of their captain, again went close before Argyle made their advantage pay and took the lead through Fallon.
Substitute and returning player Craig Noone marked his first appearance since a loan spell with Exeter by starting the move. Gary Sawyer's resulting cross was headed down by Fallon for Mackie who had his shot blocked before Fallon swept home with his left-foot in the 71st minute.
As the game wore on and the rain continued to pour, tired legs were evident - more so in the ten men of Doncaster - and Argyle held out for their second successive win.
Shaun Staff
Argyle (4-3-3): 1 Romain Larrieu; 39 David Gray, 11 Kári Árnason, 37 Shane Lowry, 18 Gary Sawyer; 2 Karl Duguid (capt), 31 Yoann Folly, 25 Alan Judge (6 Chris Clark 79); 26 Alan Gow (17 Craig Noone 69), 8 Jamie Mackie, 14 Rory Fallon (24 Ashley Barnes 90). Substitutes (not used): 3 Jim Paterson, 5 Krisztián Timár, 21 Cillian Sheridan, 23 Kyle Letheren (gk).
Booked: Gray 28, Mackie 74.
Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): 1 Neil Sullivan; 6 James Chambers, 2 James O'Connor, 21 Sam Hird, 3 Gareth Roberts (14 Paul Heffernan 77); 16 John Oster, 31 Simon Gillett (10 John Spicer 77), 22 Dean Shiels (7 Lewis Guy 83), 17 Martin Woods (capt); 5 Billy Sharp, 26 James Coppinger. Substitutes (not used): 12 James Hayter, 19 Quinton Fortune, 24 Mustapha Dumbaya, 33 Gary Woods (gk).
Sent-off: Woods 50.
Booked: Woods 44.
Referee: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire).
Attendance: 9, 420 (418 away).
