Argyle 0

Hearts 0

FITNESS gained and formation-lessons learned will be among the positives Argyle can take from this dour 0-0 draw with Heart of Midlothian.

The Scottish Premier League side arrived at Home Park for a pre-season friendly just three days after taking a 3-0 spanking at Southampton, but their defensive approach to the first-half successfully quelled Argyle's attacking intentions.

Argyle played cohesive football in the first 45 minutes without really threatening and Hearts came out of their shells in the second-half. Unfortunately, this was a game that never looked like evolving into a goal-fest.

Argyle's preparations were thrown into disarray 15 minutes before kick-off, when Chris Barker limped out of the warm-up with a calf problem. Hungarian Krisztián Timár was immediately promoted from the bench to partner Marcel Seip in the heart of defence.

Romain Larrieu started in goal with David McNamee and goal-machine Gary Sawyer occupying the full-back positions. New signing Kári Árnáson started in the engine room alongside Carl Fletcher.

Width was provided by Jim Paterson and Jason Puncheon. Bradley Wright-Phillips made his Home Park bow in attack with Steve MacLean.

There was also a switch of dug-outs for the first and only Home Park friendly of the pre-season campaign. The idea being Luggy and his coaching staff can catch the ear of the assistant referee.

The Greens started with genuine attacking purpose, stretching Hearts with searching crosses from either wing that combined to cause 'keeper Jamie MacDonald some early distress.

Argyle's impressive territorial dominance in the opening exchanges culminated in a hopeful penalty shout after Wright-Phillips was felled by a gentle nudge from a Hearts defender.

The fluidity of Argyle's diamond was another impressive feature with all four members of the midfield happily slotting into different positions in order to retain the disciplined shape Luggy so often talks about.

Puncheon, in particular, was looking very sharp, and it was from his cross that Wright-Phillips unleashed a low first-time strike that MacDonald did well to turn round the post.

The Pilgrims continued to flow forward and Wright-Phillips and Árnáson tested MacDonald's goal-awareness with a couple of low skidders that the Hearts 'keeper safely watched wide.

The half ended with a weaving run from Wright-Phillips that included one twist too many, allowing Hearts to make a desperate recovery. Although the scores remained level, Argyle went into the break having looked a far better attacking unit than the Edinburgh visitors.

Luggy's decision to stick with the same personnel at the start of the second period was testament to Argyle's control of the game in the first 45 minutes.

Hearts, to their credit, started the second-half with vastly improved attacking verve, and Ian Black forced Larrieu into his first save of the match with a scuttling volley from the edge of the area. Argyle responded with a scooped effort from range by Paterson.

Luggy finally made a change on 57 minutes, withdrawing the beguiling craft of Puncheon for the raw power of Rory Fallon. It was a move that allowed MacLean to drop back into the attacking midfield role he has sparkled in throughout pre-season. Chris Clark was then introduced for Árnáson.

Karl Duguid for Paterson was the next change and, with Hearts also exercising the fourth official's arm muscles, the game was suffering the age-old rhythm-breaking problem that so often afflicts friendlies.

Fallon was the man to finally break the substitute-induced slumber with a neat shot on the turn that replacement goalkeeper Janos Balogh patted down unconvincingly before smothering the ball.

MacLean's industrious evening ended on 78 minutes, giving Craig Noone 12 minutes to rescue a game seemingly destined for a goalless finish, and he didn't take long to make an impression.

A clever ball inside the Hearts left-back allowed Wright-Phillips to dink over a cross that eventually found its way to Sawyer, who, given his scorchers at Torquay and Morecambe, surprisingly duffed the shot into the ground.

Noone continued to dance around the danger zone but his low effort on 85 minutes was easily fielded by Balogh.The sprightly winger was again involved in the final attack of the game, squaring for Fallon to plant a difficult header inches over.

It was a valiant late impression from Noone, but he could not prevent the game from plodding through to its inevitable conclusion.

Argyle (4-4-2): 1 Romain Larrieu; 16 David McNamee, 5 Krisztián Timár, 19 Marcel Seip, 18 Gary Sawyer; 3 Jim Paterson (2 Karl Duguid 67), 4 Carl Fletcher (Capt), 11 Kári Árnáson (6 Chris Clark 60), 7 Jason Puncheon (14 Rory Fallon 57); 9 Steve MacLean (17 Craig Noone 78), 10 Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Substitutes: 20 Luke Summerfield, 24 Ashley Barnes, 27 Lloyd Saxton (gk).

Booked:

Heart of Midlothian: 13 Jamie MacDonald (1 Janos Balogh h-t); 2 Dawid Kucharski (5 Marius Zaliukas h-t), 4 Eggert Jonsson, 7 Suso Santana (18 Arvydas Novikovas 74), 8 Ian Black (12 Jonathan Stewart 62), 10 Laryea Kingston (9 David Witteveen 55), 14 Christian Nade (25 Zezinando Gomes 70), 15 David Obua (16 Gary Glen 88), 20 Jose Goncalves, 21 Ismael Bouzid, 23 Michael Stewart.
Substitutes: 17 Ryan McGowan, 19 Craig Thomson, 24 Joao Moreira.

Booked:

Referee: Keith Stroud (Dorset).

Attendance: 4,177 (97 away).