Missing the Final Touch

ARGYLE manager Ryan Lowe was impressed with the effort that the team put in for the 0-0 draw against Cambridge United on Saturday in Sky Bet League Two.

The Pilgrims’ dominated the whole match and were hoping to come away with the three points against an in-form Cambridge side on Saturday but they were unable to find the final touch in attack.

It was a day summed up by a tremendous late free-kick from George Cooper that was just a fraction away from winning the game for Argyle.

“For me, as the manager, I need to make sure that we find that last little bit, a bit more quality,” said Ryan.

“Georgey’s free kick, it is inches away, fine margins, but I want to see him hitting the target first and foremost because if you hit the target you make the keeper work.”

“At this moment in time, we are just lacking that little bit of quality. Like the strikers when they are through, try the snapshots. We are just trying to find that little bit of finesse.”

Although the game ended 0-0 and there is obvious room for improvement when it comes to taking their chances in the final third, Ryan could not fault the Pilgrim effort in a busy period of football.

“It was a boring 0-0 if you like, but it was not for the lack of trying,” he said. “Our lads have put everything into trying to get the three points and we certainly did that from the side-lines by putting players on to create more chances and more opportunities.

“Could we have been a little bit better in breaking them down earlier on? Yes, of course, but it is not for the lack of trying the lads put everything into that but just come away with a point.”

The stats from the game proved that Argyle did not hold back during the game and tried to push for the win against a stubborn Cambridge after recording 550-plus passes along with 17 shots.

“Our lads put their bodies on the line certainly, 100%, they were trying, trying and trying, they huffed and puffed along the way,” he said.

“The lads have travelled miles and miles of late so they will have an extra day off on Monday but that will include some recovery stuff. Then I will look to freshen them up for next week because it is another important game [at Bradford].”