Fortress

ALL managers will talk about making their home stadium a fortress but only a few are able to achieve that aim.

Argyle boss Ryan Lowe is in that happy minority, having only tasted league defeats twice at Home Park this season and both of those games against Cheltenham and Swindon could have been a very different outcome.

Mansfield Town are the visitors to the Pilgrim fortress today and the gaffer cannot wait to hear the Green Army in full voice.

“Home Park is becoming a fortress for us,” said Ryan. “We’ve only lost two at home, we’re disappointed in the two but even those games we lost, we possibly should have won.

“Coming to Home Park, with the new stand now, and it’s bouncing, the fans are singing, it has become a fortress. We wanted to make it a fortress and for teams coming here, they’ll think it’s a tough ride.

“They’ve travelled five or six hours, however long it takes on a Friday, to get here and we’ve got to use that to our advantage. We said all along that we want to be hard to beat here and we’ve certainly done that.

“It’s also the brand of football we’re playing on this pitch because it is a lovely pitch. We’re doing the right things and when you’ve got the supporters backing you, there is hopefully only way we can go.

“We’re getting complimented up and down the country because they see the brand of football we’re playing. We’re grateful for all the support and whether it’s 10,000 or 15,000 [in the crowd], we’re always grateful.”