Tuesday Night Delights

He was, though, playing for Bradford City, who inflicted a 1-0 win over Carl Fletcher’s Argyle on November 20, 2012. 

Since then, under John Sheridan, Argyle have played under the lights on the road, in the league, nine times, and are yet to be beaten. 

Rather remarkably, those nine games have featured six wins, including scalps of teams performing well in the league such as Wycombe this season, Fleetwood last campaign and Chesterfield the season before, with a win that to all intents and purposes kept Argyle up. 

Most involved in football would likely recoil from such a stat being delivered to them – so we held back from revealing this to Carl before he faced the press on the eve of Argyle’s night-time visit to Stevenage, this Tuesday. 

Even had we mentioned it, we feel his answer would likely have been the same, when asked about our form on the road. 

“We have won the last two away games,” said Carl, referring to wins at Wycombe and Exeter in February, “and I think it is the first time we’ve done that all season – so we’ll use that as a positive. We go into the game trying to get the result; the important thing is to be at it and do the basics well.”

Sensible stuff, from a player who is as easy on the eye when being watched on the football pitch as any in green and white this season. 

Carl, though, like most players who have thirty or more games under their belt at this stage of a season, admits to carrying a knock or two on the park. Accumulative injuries can see a player out for a game or two, hence Reuben Reid missing out against Bury on Saturday with a niggling foot problem, but unflappable Donegal man Carl says that strong minds can accompany strong bodies to get Argyle over the line this season. 

He said: “I don’t think there are many weeks when you go out and you are 100% fit, especially at this stage of the season. You are always carrying something. 

“But we have a really committed group of players who always put themselves out there, every week, and are massively committed to getting the team up the table. You can’t fault anyone for that.”