Constant Curtis

...the constant in Argyle’s season that has been Curtis Alexander Nelson inspired them to a fighting point against Sky Bet League 2 promotion rivals Oxford.

 

The admirable Nelson scored one equaliser in the 2-2 draw and, he says, generously allowed team-mate Craig Tanner to head home the second leveller, a point-saver which came moments after the Pilgrims’ skipper had prevented Oxford from going 3-1 ahead.

 

His goal first - it came three minutes after Nelse’s centre-back sidekick Peter Hartley had headed Oxford into a 12th-minute leader with an own-goal from a corner, when he nodded in Jake Jervis’s flag-kick delivery.

 

“It came over the top of the guy in front of me’s head and it hit me!” said Curtis. “I watched [the ball] come in and ducked my head but I didn’t put much power on it. It came to me as a bit of surprise.”

 

Argyle were back behind before half-time, to a Kemar Roofe strike, but levelled with 15 minutes to go when substitute Craig Tanner headed home a Graham Carey corner that they had won on the counter after Nelse chased back to dispossess Danny Hylton as he bore down on goal.

 

“He’s taken too much time,” said Curtis. “He’s given me a chance to get back in there; I don’t know why he slowed down.

 

“I think Luke [McCormick] has done well to stand him up and slow him down, it gave me chance. You have just got to time it perfectly; usually when he pulls his leg back to shoot, you have got a bit of space to nick in.

 

“It shows how quickly a football match can turn. It was a brilliant header from Craig. I did say to him, at half-time, ‘Make sure you’re on the back, sweeping up’ and he’s come in there and nicked a goal which probably should have been mine, because that’s my area.

 

“No, it doesn’t matter who put the ball across the line as long as it gets across. He’s come in and done well for us. It shows that, even though we are short on numbers, we have got good quality in the squad.”