Tonnes of Fun

LUKE McCormick notched up his 300th game for Argyle in their 3-1 win over Newport County, and thanks to being part of a successful squad, he is enjoying his time as a Pilgrim as much as ever.

Super Luke made it a triple century of appearances between the sticks for the Greens, as a brace from Graham Carey and a Jordan Slew effort ensured it was another successful outing for one of Argyle’s true custodians.

“It’s something I’m really proud of - to do it for this club, a club who I hold very close to my heart,” said McCormick. “I’ve been here for a long time, so it’s something I’m proud of and I just want to keep chalking them up now."

The victory came with a minor blip for Luke, as Jon Parkin briefly brought the hosts level early in the second half. The veteran striker lobbed McCormick from an unlikely angle and from all of 30 yards - just the one mark on a near-faultless afternoon’s work for the shot-stopper.

“It took me by complete surprise - it was the last thing I expected him to do,” said McCormick on Parkin’s goal. “I’ve got a short space of time to make a decision. 

“Looking back on it now, I’d like to see if I could’ve got to it if I’d have gone for it. I actually thought it was going wide, but it’s ended up in the back of the net. It’s disappointing not to get the clean sheet, but the three points are obviously all-important.”

The three points are exactly what Argyle took, for the tenth time in the last twelve games - and the sixth in a row away from home - in the league. With the Pilgrims on such an impressive run, with spirits high and feet still firmly on the ground, Luke feels as determined to succeed now as he did when making his debut, 15 years ago. 

“We spoke about records again this week,” said McCormick, “and it’s something that we’re proud of and we want to keep building on. 

“At the moment, it’s as enjoyable a squad as I’ve ever been in. But it’s too early to start comparing; there’s a lot of games and a lot of football to be played. We’ll see at the end of the season.”