Club News
It is History Now
10th September 2015
THE Pilgrims take on Wycombe Wanderers in their seventh Sky Bet League 2 game of the season - and third successive away match - on Saturday, looking to take three points from the side who beat them in the play-off semi-finals last season.
Argyle manager Derek Adams watched both legs of the televised showdown against the Chairboys and knows not to take the game lightly even though his own side is in good form. The match has an added spice of not only being against the Greens' final opponents last season but also a contest between second against third in current league standings this time around.
Just as the Pilgrims have apparently suffered no hangover from their defeat by Wycombe, so have the Chairboys seemingly shrugged off their final penalty shoot-out heartache at the hands of Southend United.
Derek said: "They've done well; like ourselves, they've had a good start. It's two teams that are in very good form, so it'll be an interesting afternoon."
With Wycombe strikers Paul Hayes and Gary Thompson posing a threat as a partnership and defender Aaron Pierre strong in the air, Derek knows his side needs to be sharp on their set-piece defending. Four of Wycombe's five goals in the semi-final play-off came from dead-ball situations.
"They've got good delivery from set-plays," said Derek, who, as ever, preferred to concentrate on his own side. "So have we - we've scored a lot of goals from set-plays this season."
The two teams facing each other this weekend are very different to those pitted against each other last time, with Ainsworth having personally checked out the new-look Argyle when they won at Wimbledon in last week's Johnstones Paint Trophy tie.
"Gareth's taken in a number of players from last season and we've done likewise," said Derek. "It's a new season; it's partially two new teams.
"He can see the way that we play and the way we pass the ball, the way we get forward and create chances. We're looking forward to it. We know the history and we'll go there with a positive attitude. "
The manager will also want to rectify the slow starts his team has made in the last few games.
"We have allowed the other teams to start quicker than us," he said, "so we have to change that. We have to be the one to take the game to the opposition very quickly and see how they respond from that.
"It's something that we will work on and we are working on to improve. We obviously become stronger in the second half but we want to become stronger in the first 15 minutes, as well."
With Reuben Reid back in training this week after his hamstring problems, Derek's only concerns are midfielder Josh Simpson, who is likely to be out until next week, and Deane Smalley, who is now back in training with the Under 18s as he continues to recover from a serious cruciate knee ligament injury.