Who's The Daddy?

DADDY Cool Marvin Morgan celebrated the birth of his first child with the opening goal in the Pilgrims’ 2-0 home Sky Bet League 2 victory over Hartlepool United...

...but insisted the victory was more important than his personal landmark.

The 14th-minute strike was 31-year-old Marvin’s first in front of the home fans since joining in the summer of 2013, since when he has suffered a catalogue of misfortune which has limited his first-team participation.

“I’m glad I got the goal,” he said. “I know everyone’s going think ‘It’s good for the baby’ but it’s more relief for me, really. It was good to get my first goal at Home Park. I just want to play and show what I can do.

“It’s weird how it’s all kind of worked out. If we’d lost and I’d scored, it wouldn’t be so good.  I’m more happy that we got the three points going to Accrington next week. Last season was a nightmare season: getting injured; collapsing; not knowing where I was going to be. I’m happy I’ve gone through pre-season with no injuries. I feel fit, and now I will try to stay in the team.”

Marvin missed the previous Tuesday’s 1-0 home defeat by Wycombe Wanders to be at the bedside of partner Jerri for the birth of baby Miles but felt the pressure of that result before his goalscoring return, which was celebrated by team-mates with the familiar baby-rocking mime.

He said: “Rubes [Reuben Reid] was on my case before the game. He said: ‘You have to score today – and the celebration has to be that. You can’t do it next week – it has to be this week.’

“Before the game, in the dressing-room, there was a lot of tension, knowing we had to win this game. We had to get three points, even if it was scrappy last-minute [goal]. That’s what it comes down to – results, regardless if we play well.

“Hopefully, we can build on it. We got the goal and I looked at Rubes when the goal went in and thought ‘this could be six or seven’ because we had them. But – fair play to Hartlepool – they got a few chances and caused us a few nervy moments; the crowd was a bit nervous; the players were a bit nervous.”

Reuben later limped off with a hip problem, joining an injury-list that also includes fellow strikers Deane Smalley, Jason Banton and Matt Lecointe, as well as centre-back Peter Hartley.

However, Marvin, who started Saturday’s game on the left-hand side of a three-man attack, believes there is enough strength in the Pilgrims’ squad to be able to cope with adversity.

“We have got enough in Lewi [Lewis Alessandra], Dom [Dominic Blizzard], myself; Tyler Harvey – I still say he’s our best finisher and a great player; you’ve seen what Nathan [Thomas] can do; Ollie [Norburn], as well.

“There’s young players like Riv [River Allen] and Aaron [Bentley] – they’re really good players; if they start playing, they will probably be gone in six months because they are young and so good. We’ve got players in abundance. We’re in a good position. We have to make this a fortress; we have to win games at home.”

If Reuben does have to miss games, Marvin will happily volunteer to fill the void, and help shoulder goalscoring duties with or without his team-mate.

He said: “I want to play up front but I’m happy to play on the left and hopefully more chances like that can occur. I’m in a good place now and I just want to play. I want to show what I can do and why I wanted to come to this club.

“Rubes is always going to be a handful – he’s going to get goals – but we need to chip in with goals; everyone else needs to take the pressure off Rubes from scoring.”