Digging Right In

ARGYLE go into Christmas on a four-game unbeaten run after gutsing out a point at the sopping wet Crown Ground.

Onismor Bhasera’s first goal of the season midway through the first half gave the Pilgrims the lead over Accrington  in one of only two npower League 2 games to beat Saturday’s deluge.

However, the home side put a below-par Argyle under pressure for most of the remainder of the game and levelled shortly after half-time through James Beattie.

The Pilgrims finished strongly, though, with Paris Cowan-Hall winning a penalty from which Warren Feeney saw Stanley goalkeeper Paul Rachubka make a save, and hitting the crossbar through skipper Darren Purse.

“I’m really pleased with the lads’ commitment and desire and their hunger to do well for one another,” said manager Carl Fletcher.

“We didn’t play great, but it is a great point for us, with the rain and the wind, and six and half hours on the coach yesterday.

“Certain basic things, we didn’t do; we could have been better at. I’m really pleased with the way we recognised the fact that we had a bit of an off day and we dug in to grind out a real tough result – that’s four undefeated and a good away point.

“After going in front, I’m disappointed we didn’t hang on to all three, but you have got to give credit to Accrington – they came at us and put us under pressure.

“Days like today show a lot of character: to grind out a result, and get positives from it, even when we’re not at our best. We’ll take the hard-earned point.

“The lads just rolled their sleeves up and dug in for one another. We worked hard and we could have won it at the end – we had a penalty and we hit the bar.

“In terms of quality, there were little bits few and far between during the game, but those little bits could have changed it for us.”