ARGYLE manager Paul Sturrock's delight at a fine performance against seven-times FA Cup winners Arsenal could not totally cover up his disappointment at four minutes of madness that cost the Pilgrims the chance of an upset at the Emirates.
Having gone into the half-time break at 0-0, Argyle let Robin van Persie head home unmarked from a corner 53 seconds after the restart, and then, four minutes later, allowed the same player room to drive in a cross that Argyle debutant David Gray turned into his own net.
Although Pilgrims' skipper Karl Duguid reduced the arrears almost immediately and Argyle continued to ask questions of their illustrious hosts, van Persie finished off their brave attempts to force a replay when he scored six minutes from the end for a final 3-1 scoreline.
Luggy said: "I'm very pleased with the overall performance of the team; gutted with the two goals after half-time - having pre-warned players what to expect - which really kicks us in the teeth; and pleased that they got back into it again and dug deep to get a goal.
"If somebody had told me [beforehand] that, seven minutes from the end we would have been 2-1 down and biting and scratching to get the equaliser, I would have bitten their hand off. The players have shown a great commitment to the cause.
Asked what he had told his players at half-time, Luggy said: "That [Arsenal] would come out all guns blazing. I rattled their cage for about ten minutes, warning them what they were going to receive, that they would have to dig deep for 10-15 minutes
"Fifty-three seconds later, we were 1-0 down - it was a sloppy set-piece, someone has not picked up properly - and we went 2-0 down after two or three more minutes and everybody was looking to the stars.
"As the manager of the opposition playing Arsenal at their own ground, I started to worry, but the players responded properly. They got the goal and dug deep again. Give them their due, they rolled their sleeves back up again,
"To get a goal back and to get ourselves back into the groove and in with an opportunity of snatching something was great for everybody involved.
"This lot have got a good attitude. There were one or two heads that went down but the goal gave us a wee tonic again and they kept going.
"The third goal was the killer, but I'd stuck the winger [Craig Noone] on, I'd stuck another striker [Steve MacLean] on, to try to get back into the game.
"Their goalie's had a great save from MacLean late on - we could have been 3-2 and chasing the game at the end.
"If we'd weathered the first 20 minutes of the second half, it could have been a different game, but [Arsenal] are a quality football team - quality players all over the pitch, they can attack you from all angles.
"In the end, the boys have dug deep and have come out with a performance. We worked very hard on the shape of the team and the boys have put a great effort in.
"We made sure we were very compact and tight, and we played to our strengths and tried to play to [Arsenal]'s weaknesses.
"We would have loved to get to the last 20 minutes at 0-0. I think we might have seen an edginess in the stadium and an edginess on the pitch, but, when they got 2-0 up, it made it far easier for [Arsenal].
"That was near enough [Arsenal]'s strongest team, apart from the centre-forward [Emmanuel Adebayor] and the goalkeeper [Manuel Almunia], so, when you look at it that way, it was a terrific performance from the players and a great attitude.
Luggy also paid tribute to the 9,000-strong Green Army, for some magnificent support.
"I think the majority enjoyed their day out," he said. "They sung right through the 90 minutes. They backed the team fantastically and it's been a great day for them. They got a goal, so they had something to celebrate.
"The players responded to that support and came out with a reasonable performance."
Rick Cowdery
