Sat 1st Feb
Sky Bet Championship
Kick-off12:30

PLY Argyle

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WBA West Brom

Darko Gyabi

The Game    
Argyle v West Bromwich Albion. Home Park. Saturday, 1 February. 12.30pm. Sky Bet Championship. 

The Opposition
West Bromwich Albion won five of their six opening games of the season, including a 1-0 victory over Argyle at the Hawthorns, but have since dropped down into the play-off positions. 

A 5-1 win against Portsmouth was the first since New Year's Day for the Baggies, whilst strong form away from home has been seen throughout the season.  

The Gaffer   
Tony Mowbray returned as West Brom's Head Coach on 18 January, following the departure of Carlos Corberan to Valencia. Mowbray’s first game was a loss away from home against Middlesborough, ending a run of four unbeaten games. 

Tony Mowbray

The 61-year-old’s first full-time managerial job in England was with the Baggies, over three years from 2006. Promotion to the Premier League was the highlight of Mowbray’s spell, but the following season, relegation soon came, and the Englishman left the Midlands for Celtic. 

Mowbray’s time in Scotland lasted just one year before he returned to England with Middlesborough. Spells in charge of Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, and Birmingham City followed, with the latter cut short because of a medical diagnosis which, thankfully, Mowbray has now received the all-clear from.  

The Squad  
Grady Diangana (below) flew onto the scene at West Ham United, but the DR Congo international has become a regular for the Baggies in recent years. His most prolific season came last year, with 15 goal and assist contributions in 38 games, but this season the forward has hit the back of the net four times so far. 

Grady Diangana

Goalkeeper Alex Palmer will be a name known by many Argyle fans for his loan spell with the Greens in the 2019/20 season. The 28-year-old’s efforts between the sticks helped secure promotion to League One, with a points-per-game basis being the deciding factor.  

New signing Isaac Price may make his full debut for the Baggies at Home Park. The Northern Irish international, who’s scored six goals in 18 games for his nation, joined from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liege in recent weeks. He featured off the bench in the 5-1 victory over Portsmouth in their last league fixture.  

Most Recent Meetings  
Earlier in the season, the Baggies claimed a 1-0 victory over Argyle in the Midlands. Argyle performed admirably against Albion, who were top of the Championship at the time, but were left to rue missed chances to clinch a result on the road, after Josh Maja scored the only goal of the game.   

Last season, West Brom got the better of Argyle at Home Park, beating the Greens 3-0. The reverse fixture at the Hawthorns finished 0-0. 

Argyle TV   
Argyle TV’s  coverage will begin with Argyle Breakfast at 10am, which will feature guests including John Uzzell, and is hosted by Erin Black and Aaron Cusack. The pair will return for the pre-match show, which starts at midday. Commentary will be provided from Home Park by Charlie Price and Marc Edworthy. 

Match passes to watch this game are available in certain international territories. Click here for more information.

Sky Sports 
The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football.  

Match Report

Ryan Hardie’s stunning substitute appearance turned Argyle’s game against West Bromwich Albion on its head at Home Park, as the Scottish forward scored twice to give Miron Muslic his first win as Head Coach. 

Albion had taken the lead via a substitute of their own, Jayson Molumby, who slid in to give the visitors a lead fairly late in the game, but Argyle immediately equalised through a penalty, earned after a hand had stopped Hardie’s shot, and which the number 9 dispatched.

Then, with two minutes of the 90 to play, Hardie had a shot blocked, but gathered the rebound and struck a decisive blow to give Argyle their first league win in almost three months.

And deserved it was, too. Spirit alone cannot win you football matches – but it goes a heck of a long way.

The game saw full debuts for Argyle’s newest acquisitions. Maksym Talovierov and Nikola Katic, both of whom had signed for the Pilgrims the day before, went into a back three alongside Julio Pleguezuelo. Tymoteusz Puchacz shifted to playing at his more natural left wing-back position. 

On the right of the back five, Matty Sorinola kept his place, meaning Bali Mumba was the one to move to the bench. Jordan Houghton and Adam Randell anchored the midfield, behind Callum Wright and Michael Baidoo playing as support to Mustapha Bundu. Conor Hazard continued in goal.

It was noticeable from the outset that the tempo of this game was very different to that of the previous Home Park outing, a 5-0 home mauling by Burnley.

This was a different Argyle, one akin to that which drew 2-2 at Sunderland last Saturday, but with even more zip to their press, a bit more starch in their tackles.

It was a first half not replete with chances and shots on goal, but what there was to speak of, Argyle will feel they had the better of. 

Randell was at the heart of two interchanges which almost resulted in an opportunity. From the first sequence, the home-grown midfielder linked with Bundu, the ball flitting back and forth between the pair before Randell got a shot away, although the flag had gone up to signal him offside.

Towards the half-time mark, Randell took the ball near the halfway line with a sublime first touch and drove forward. He fed Wright – onside, but only just – who got the ball caught under his feet and the chance was gone.

Seconds later, at the other end, Alex Mowatt fizzed an effort not too far off target, but this was a sign of what Argyle had limited their lofty visitors to. Callum Styles and Tom Fellows also had shots from distance, but neither troubled Hazard sufficiently that he had to make an attempt to save them. 

At the other end, Bundu and Wright were again involved in a decent attacking move, the former not only evading a tackle, but escaping a blatant foul to progress on the right flank. His cross found Wright, whose stooping header was deflected wide.

Albion had an opportunity early in the second period, sending in a corner which Mason Holgate headed back across into a danger area. Mikey Johnson and Torbjorn Heggem attempted to pounce, but Hazard dived onto and held the ball, like a possessive kitten with its precious ball of wool.

It would be unfair to suggest that West Brom were the only side trying to play, because Argyle had plenty of nice exchanges, but the game was a clash of styles in the sense that this new, up-tempo Argyle's main focus was stopping the more considered West Brom from playing their way through the green swarm. On occasions, they almost managed it, but were typically met by Pilgrims renewing the battle.

On 63 minutes, Tony Mowbray refreshed his line-up with three substitutes, bringing on Karlan Grant, Jayson Molumby and Isaac Price, and the latter went close when a stinging drive from 20 yards, after a long throw had been ejected from the area, went not far over. 

Argyle made a double change of their own, Ryan Hardie and Michael Obafemi replacing Bundu and Wright, but a few minutes later it was Albion who took the lead.

Neat play down the right saw Jed Wallace arrow his way into the area, and as he was closed down, he squared to Molumby, arriving in the six-yard box, with the simplest task of forcing the ball over the line.

Cue Albion delirium – but it was short-lived.

Argyle advanced on the left, with Puchacz crossing into the area. Eventually, the ball found Hardie, who drove in a left-footed shot. It was blocked by the arm of Styles, and referee Dean Whitestone pointed to the spot.

This was game 234 for Hardie in an Argyle shirt, drawing him level with Joe Edwards as the members of the current squad who have made the most appearances for the Greens. In 13 of those matches, Hardie would have looked back to see Alex Palmer as his goalkeeper. Now, he saw that same figure looming over him, trying to get into his head as he held the ball, awaiting the go-ahead to take the penalty.

Eventually, the whistle blew and, far from the maddened crowd of Baggies fans, Hardie won his personal duel, sending Palmer the wrong way, and drawing Argyle level.

Beaten by the penalty, Palmer kept parity for his side by making a tremendous stop. Hardie took advantage of a mistake by Heggem and ran into the left channel. He crossed and found Obafemi, who tried to go back across the keeper, but Palmer, with great agility, got down to repel the effort.

But Argyle were not to be denied. Their winning goal came from a superb throughball by Puchacz, in behind the Albion defence. It looks as though Hardie, on the end of it, may have just let it run too wide, as he gathered, had to come onto his left foot, and saw his effort blocked by Styles. However, Hardie industriously collected the rebound, shifted the ball onto his right foot, and drove accurately into the bottom corner. 

Oh – and Dry January has just finished, too. Enjoy your weekend, Pilgrims. 

Bring on the best team in Europe… 

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 4 Jordan Houghton (18 Darko Gyabi, 85), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 11 Callum Wright (9 Ryan Hardie, 70), 15 Mustapha Bundu (14 Michael Obafemi, 70), 17 Tymoteusz Puchacz, 20 Adam Randell (capt), 25 Nikola Katic (44 Victor Palsson 77), 29 Matty Sorinola, 30 Michael Baidoo (28 Rami Al Hajj, half-time), 40 Maksym Talovierov. Substitutes: 31 Daniel Grimshaw (gk), 2 Bali Mumba, 3 Nathanael Ogbeta, 26 Muhamed Tijani.

Goals: Hardie pen 77, 88

West Bromwich Albion: 1 Alex Palmer, 2 Darnell Furlong, 3 Mason Holgate, 4 Callum Styles, 7 Jed Wallace (capt, 17 Ousmane Diakite, 84), 10 John Swift (8 Jayson Molumby, 63) 11 Grady Diangana (44 Devante Cole, 90), 14 Torbjorn Heggem, 22 Mikey Johnston (18 Karlan Grant, 63), 27 Alex Mowatt, 31 Tom Fellows (21 Isaac Price, 63). Substitutes: 23 Joe Wildsmith (gk), 5 Kyle Bartley, 24 Gianluca Frabotta, 34 Harry Whitwell.

Goals: Molumby 74

Booked: Wallace 77

Attendance: 16,870 (1,735 away) 

Referee: Dean Whitestone