Sympathy For The Skipper

CARL Fletcher showed some sympathy for Darren Purse after the Argyle captain was dismissed during the Pilgrims’ 3-0 npower League 2 defeat at Fleetwood.

Darren was red-carded in the 79th minute – at which point the Pilgrims were just 1-0 down and pushing for an equaliser – for an off-the-ball incident.

Fletch will speak to his skipper and take appropriate action after reviewing the video of the sending-off, knowing from personal experience that sometimes emotions run away from a player.

He said: “Every game is different and sometimes a will to win spills over into actions that maybe you wouldn’t normally do.

“I’ve been in games when you do things on the pitch that, in the cold light of day, don’t seem normal.

“It’s hard for people to understand, if you have not played the game, that, with the adrenaline, the frustration, the will to win, and the hard work, you do things you normally wouldn’t do.”

Darren is set to miss Argyle’s next three games, including Tuesday’s visit to Bradford, when it will be business as usual with Frenchman Max Blanchard stepping into the breach.

“Max comes in,” said Fletch.

“You can’t worry too much about the ones that can’t play –the injured or the ones that are suspended – you have got to concentrate on the ones that are available.”