Handle With Carey

ARGYLE midfielder Graham Carey hailed the character of his team-mates as the Pilgrims bounced back from losing their eight-match unbeaten run with arguably their most convincing display of the season.

Graham scored twice, and Ruben Lameiras twice more, as the Pilgrims triumphed 4-0 over Southend United at Home Park on Good Friday to go back into the Sky Bet League One play-off zone. 

The win came six days after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic at the Valley and Graham said:“We lost a bit last week with the result and the performance. We weren’t happy with the way we played, the way we started the game. 

“We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit with the way we started the game but we know that, when we start games brightly, it’s hard to defend against. 

“The performance was obviously bad but there wasn’t that ‘we’re a bad team overnight’ kind of thing. We had been on a hell of a run and it does take a lot out of you, physically and mentally, to come from where we have to get where we are now. 

“You are going to have off-days. Luckily, today, we bounced back and put on a good performance for the fans.

“When we lost to Wigan, we bounced back with a win and we did that again. I think it just shows the character in the team. 

“We felt this was a good game for us. With the system that [Southend] play, we felt that we could get a lot of room, me and Ruben coming in off the sides and doubling up.”

Crucial to the success that he and Ruben have enjoyed since Christmas has been the part played by central forward Ryan Taylor, a role other Pilgrims have filled in recent campaigns. 

Graham said: “It’s shown, over the last couple of seasons, especially last year with Jimmy Spencer, they don’t always score 15-20 goals a season but the work they do for the team is selfless and they probably do not get enough credit for what they do.

“They create a lot of space, win a lot of balls, and it’s up to us to get around them and get the second ball.”