Sat 19th Mar
League One
Kick-off 15:00

PLY Argyle

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ACC Accrington

Training

With eight wins from ten games, four clean sheets in a row and victories over play off rivals Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth in their last two games, Argyle’s form is impeccable.

This Saturday though, they come up against an Accrington Stanley side that held an in form Sheffield Wednesday side to a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough on Tuesday and will be looking to do the same to another play off chasing side.

Accrington will make the five-and-a-half-hour journey down to Devon positioned at 12th in Sky Bet League One looking to get their first win against Argyle since 2019.

In those three years, the Greens have seen a multitude of changes.

Argyle have witnessed the heartache of relegation, the joy of promotion and now, with Steven Schumacher at the helm, the Green Army are hoping got a return to Sky Bet Championship for the first time since 2010.

Stanley in the meantime, have built consistency. They’ve maintained mid-table finishes in Sky Bet League One since their promotion back in 2018 and looking good for their highest ever league position.

Being 16 points off the top six, it might appear that Accrington have little to play for, however Steven Schumacher is all too aware of their dangers, “John Coleman won’t allow the players to step off the gas,” he told the media.

“They’ve had a good season, picked up good results against Wycombe, Charlton, and Sheffield Wednesday.

“We always know what John Coleman and Jimmy Bell’s sides are like, they work really hard, and they’ve got a good team spirit.”

Their form recently has been inconsistent. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven games, with their last coming against Oxford United in early February, a stark contrast to Argyle.

The Greens are currently enjoying one of their best spells of the season, keeping clean sheets in eight of their last ten matches - Accrington Stanley have kept nine all season.

Currently in fifth position, level on points with fourth placed Oxford United and with a game in hand, the excitement has been building around PL2.

Earlier in the season, Argyle saw off Accrington Stanley in clinical fashion, winning 4-1 at the Wham Stadium.

Scoring In the away fixture from close range, Ryan Hardie will look to inflict more damage on Stanley this weekend and extend his tally as Argyle’s top scorer this season.

TEAM NEWS

Conor Grant will be assessed ahead of the weekend after missing Tuesday’s win.

Meanwhile, the known absentees of Dan Scarr, George Cooper, Brendan Galloway and Alfie Lewis remain out.

Mitch Clark returns from a three-match ban, but Tommy Leigh sits out the second game of his suspension.

TICKET NEWS

Saturday’s game has tickets still available and can be bought from the Home Park Ticket Office. You can buy them in person, by calling 01752907700 or online at www.argyletickets.com

ARGYLE TV

If you cannot make the game, then it is available to watch or listen to on Argyle TV.

Our pre-match show, hosted by Charlie Price and Ian Stonebridge, will be free to watch on the club's YouTube channel from 2pm.

Details on packages available to you can be found here.

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Panutche Camara celebrates the opening goal

Argyle 4 
Camara 12 
Edwards 37 
Ennis 63 
Hardie 79 

Accrington Stanley 0 

Argyle’s fifth straight win in Sky Bet League One was also their biggest victory of the season, as Accrington were swept aside by a powerful Pilgrim display.  

Panutche Camara and skipper Joe Edwards provided the half-time cushion and Niall Ennis effectively sealed the points with a super finish on 63 minutes. The dismissal of Stanley goalkeeper Toby Savin confirmed the victory, with Ryan Hardie’s 19th of the season underlining a dominant display. 

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher made two changes from the midweek win over Portsmouth, Conor Grant returned from injury to replace Steven Sessegnon and Jordon Garrick came in for Luke Jephcott. 

Accrington earned a fine draw at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek but found themselves under pressure in the early stages, as the Greens looked to control proceedings with some patient passing at a blustery Home Park. 

The visitors broke those shackles with a Sean McConville corner whipped over for Michael Nottingham to rise highest and head a major warning against Mike Cooper’s crossbar. 

Within two minutes, Argyle were in front. Danny Mayor clipped in an inviting cross from the left and the ball ricocheted off the thigh of Garrick for Camara to lash home from eight yards. 

It was not the prettiest of goals but well taken by Camara, who, along with his team-mates, breathed a huge sigh of relief from the restart, as Colby Bishop found acres of room behind the Pilgrim defence but, with the goal gaping, he opted for a square pass intercepted by the recovering James Wilson. 

In an incredibly open game, Accrington were refreshingly happy to throw men forward but that did present Argyle with the chance to counter, with Camara marginally over-hitting a pass to Hardie from one quick break. 

Harry Pell headed narrowly over for the visitors, as Accrington continued to rack up the corner count, Wilson digging out a super header from his own bar after another curling cross from McConville on 28 minutes. 

The Pilgrims regained control with an outstanding second from Edwards. The skipper cut in from the right for a dazzling run and pass wide to Conor Grant, who returned a low cross that bounced nicely for Edwards to fire an instinctive left-foot half-volley beyond Savin and into the far corner. 

Hardie took the initiative next, waltzing into the box for an angled shot blocked by Ross Sykes to end a fine first half. Edwards started the second in similar fashion, forcing the ball down the line for Garrick to cross low toward Camara, who was closed down on the brink of shooting. 

The imperious Jordan Houghton stepped out of midfield duties for a fizzing free-kick tipped over by Savin, while Accrington responded with a low effort from Rosaire Longelo saved by the legs of Cooper after the ball had broken to him in the right channel. 

Cooper did even better just before the hour, diving full-length to his left for a tip wide from Ethan Hamilton’s 25-yard rocket. Argyle then turned to the bench, introducing Ennis for Garrick. 

The substitute took precisely three minutes to make a tremendous impact, turning beautifully on a Wilson pass before rifling a fantastic low strike back beyond the stranded Savin. 

It was an emphatic finish from Ennis and a healthy three-goal cushion for the Greens, as Camara left the pitch to rapturous applause, with Adam Randell the readymade replacement. 

Cooper protected his clean sheet from a deflected McConville shot and the afternoon took a terminal twist for Accrington when Savin was sent off for denying Hardie a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

Teenage goalkeeper Liam Isherwood came on for his professional debut and, to his immense credit, held on to a curling Randell effort from the resultant free-kick. Argyle were having fun, as Hardie shaved the outside of the post with a deflected strike. 

Randell was next to have a pop with another low effort that flicked off an Accrington leg before flying wide, swiftly followed by a sweet strike from Edwards that rattled off the outside of the post. 

There was a happy inevitably about the Pilgrim fourth, as Mayor jinked inside for a shot glanced into the bottom corner by the head of Hardie. The outstanding Mayor was then replaced by Ryan Broom. 

Aside from a rising Randell drive tipped over, the Pilgrims calmly played out the closing minutes with thoughts already firmly set on the midweek visit of Cheltenham. 

Argyle (3-5-2): 1 Michael Cooper; 5 James Wilson, 2 James Bolton, 3 Macaulay Gillesphey; 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 28 Panutche Camara (20 Adam Randell 65), 4 Jordan Houghton, 10 Danny Mayor (7 Ryan Broom 80), 15 Conor Grant; 9 Ryan Hardie, 14 Jordon Garrick (11 Niall Ennis 61). Substitutes: 25 Callum Burton (gk), 17 Steven Sessegnon, 31 Luke Jephcott, 33 Romoney Crichlow. 

Booked: Camara 62 

Accrington Stanley (4-5-1): 40 Toby Savin; 36 Mitch Clark, 5 Ross Sykes, 12 Michael Nottingham, 2 Harvey Rodgers (30 Liam Isherwood (gk) 69); 32 Rosaire Longelo, 6 Matt Butcher (16 Liam Coyle H-T), 8 Harry Pell, 4 Ethan Hamilton, 11 Sean McConville (capt); 9 Colby Bishop. Substitutes: 28 Seamus Conneely, 37 David Morgan, 38 Yeboah Amankwah, 41 Marcel Lewis, 44 Korede Adedoyin. 

Booked: Butcher 31 

Sent-off: Savin 68 

Attendance: 13,076 (129 away) 

Referee: Charles Breakspear 

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