REACTION: Lowe on Charlton Loss

Argyle manager Ryan Lowe condemned his players for lacking pride during their defeat against Charlton Athletic at Home Park on Tuesday night.

He said: “I’ll front it up, I’m the manager of this football club that I’m proud to manage. There were a lot of players in there that weren’t proud to wear the shirt, and I’ll make sure I do something about it. I’ll take the responsibility, albeit it they need to look at themselves.

“It just epitomises what we need to go forward, and that’s men and people with desire. We dominated possession [but] we didn’t have the desire to keep the ball out the back of the net, and we didn’t have desire to score, so how are we going to win a game of football?

“I’ve got to give Charlton a bit of credit, they’ve scored six goals, but the fact of the matter is that my players didn’t show pride, passion or desire, [which is] what I’m all about, so I can only apologise.”

With just three games remaining in the Pilgrims’ first campaign back at Sky Bet League One level, Lowe wants to see far more from his players in the closing weeks of the campaign.

He said: “It’s tough but we have to keep working hard and try to put it right, because we’ve got another tough game at Oxford on Saturday, then Sunderland and Gillingham, and I want to see a reaction quickly.

“We can’t just roll over for team and that’s certainly what they’ve done in the end, they’ve rolled over, without a fight.

“I’m absolutely distraught deep down, but all I can do is make sure I do my best with this group to put it right. We have to keep stamping it down on them, what they need to do, to not only represent Plymouth Argyle but to represent me and to do the stuff that we ask them to do.”

On a difficult night at Home Park, one positive came in the full league debut of Academy graduate Ryan Law, and Lowe was pleased with the youngster’s work ethic and overall performance.

Lowe said: “I feel for Ryan Law, he was outstanding [on Tuesday night]; his first professional debut in League One. I’m gutted for the kid, I just said to him in there [the dressing room] ‘well played’, because he was fantastic, and if I can get another ten players like him, then that’s what I want. He gave everything out there tonight.”