Scoring Momentum

ARGYLE manager Ryan Lowe made his name as a predatory striker, who lived and breathed scoring goals. Some of his favourites down the years were simple tap-ins scored from inside the six-yard box and they were achieved by taking a gamble, getting in the right areas to score and reaping the benefits.

When Danny Mayor fizzed over a perfect cross with the scores at 0-0 in the weekend loss to Port Vale, the absence of any Pilgrim strikers to finish off the move was hugely frustrating for the gaffer.

Argyle had passed up the chance to sieze the initiative and momentum, allowing Vale to grow stronger in the second period and pinch the points with a late goal from Nathan Smith.

“If strikers don’t want to get in there [for a tap-in], you find yourself out of the team and you’re never going to score 20 goals in a season,” said Ryan. “It was a big moment because, if we score first, momentum is with us, but it’s all ifs and buts.

“The first-half performance was alright but I said to the lads that I’m not giving them a well done yet because there was work to be done. If my two strikers were in the right areas when Danny Mayor puts over the cross, we score and get the momentum.

“Instead, they scored and kept going [at us].”