Recipe For Success

A LITTLE bit of homework and a lot of hard work were the key ingredients as Argyle downed high-flying Wycombe in their own backyard.

First-half goals from Lewis Alessandra and Peter Hartley secured a 2-0 win to lift the Pilgrims back into the Sky Bet League 2 play-off positions.

After the victory, Lewi, whose strike took him to ten goals for the season, revealed that the players had studied how other teams had exposed the Wycombe defence’s tendency to keep a high line.

“We worked on how we thought we could have hurt them and it’s worked out that way,” he said.

“We watched a video of a game where the opposition got in behind a lot so we knew, if they played the same way, we could use that to our advantage, especially with me and Rubes [Reuben Reid]. We’re quite quick players, so it worked in our favour; their two centre-halves weren’t quite quick enough and that’s why they gamble a little bit.”

Lewi’s 19th-minute goal came from a quick break after Drew Talbot picked off a short-corner by Wycombe and pumped the ball into the right channel for his team-mate to run on to.

“Drew put a great ball down the line,” said Lewi. “To be honest, I thought it was too heavy and the ’keeper would come and get it but I looked and he’s not come at all, so I just kept progressing with [the ball] and just hit it. It took a deflection and hit the back of the net, so I was delighted.”

The victory, which came hot on the heels of a home win against Accrington, was anchored by a solid second-half defensive display which harked back to the dogged displays of earlier in the season.

Lewi said: “I’m sure we’ve still got one of the best defensive records in the league. It’s something you can build on. If you are keeping clean sheets, I like to think, with the players we’ve got in the team, we are going to create chances and score goals. It can only be a good thing.

“Our away form is something we have been wanting to put right and to come to somewhere like this, where they are riding high and doing well, is very pleasing. To back up Saturday’s win, as well. Now, obviously, we take it into next Saturday and another great home game.”

Lewi also had special words of praise for the 500-strong Green Army who cheered themselves to a standstill.

“For a Tuesday night, there were so many of them,” he said. “It’s overwhelming at times, but it didn’t surprise me at all. Excellent again. They always get right behind you, and you can hear it.”