A Ton of Respect

Carey made it a century of appearances for the Pilgrims in a 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town, as Shuan Pearson’s opening-minute strike was cancelled out on the hour-mark my Jimmy Spencer. Falling short of lifting the Sky Bet League Two title on goal difference was painful for the Irish playmaker, falling to the ground at the final whistle, but it did not take long for Graham’s gaffer to remind him of the bigger picture.

“We went in and he [Derek Adams] reminded us: we would’ve taken this at the start of the season, to get out of this league,” said Carey.“It’s a tough league. It’s brutal at times. We have to be happy.

“It was the objective at the start of the season. It was a bit bittersweet, but we have to enjoy these moments. It’s not many times in your career that you can get promoted.”

The Irishman will now take a well-deserved break after nearly two straight years dedicating himself to the Argyle cause. While those 24 consisted of plenty of hard grafting and sacrifice, it was all worth it for Carey, plying his trade alongside a group of players he hopes to work with long after this season.

“The manager has come in and, honestly, his recruitment has been unbelievable,” said Graham.“To start with four players after the disappointment of last year; to bring in the quality he’s brought in, but to bring in such a great group of boys. With the amount of travelling that we do to every away game, you need a tight-knit group and we’ve got that. Hopefully we can keep the main core of that.

“I need a holiday! I think that was my 100th game for Argyle over two seasons, which is crazy – especially after last year, when we only had four weeks off. I think I need a good few weeks off.”