PREVIEW: Argyle vs Fleetwood Town
This weekend sees a return to Home Park for Ryan Lowe’s Pilgrims, as they take on Fleetwood Town in Sky Bet League One on Saturday afternoon.
The Greens’ unbeaten league run now stretches to seven games, having secured an impressive return of four points from trips to promotion hopefuls Portsmouth and Accrington Stanley in the past week.
Last time out, Lowe’s men secured a valuable three points in Lancashire against John Coleman’s Stanley, their first win at the Wham Stadium since December 2016.
The only goal of the game came from January acquisition Niall Ennis, who marked his first start for Argyle with an opportunistic effort, latching onto a short back-pass before coolly rounding the ‘keeper to bag his second goal since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A solid and resolute defensive display in sub-zero temperatures, coupled with some outstanding goalkeeping from Academy graduate Mike Cooper, preserved Argyle's third win in four away fixtures. The Greens are yet to taste league defeat in 2021, and now sit in 12th position.
Lying one place beneath the Pilgrims in the table are Simon Grayson’s Fleetwood Town, who secured their first league victory since the turn of the new year over promotion contenders Doncaster Rovers in midweek.
Grayson’s side had to come from behind to defeat Donny at Highbury Stadium, having fallen behind to a seventh-minute opener from Jason Lokilo.
It wasn’t until the hour mark that Fleetwood drew level, as Charlie Mulgrew’s header was turned home by Kyle Vassell for his first Town goal. Just six minutes later, Fleetwood captain Paddy Madden put the Cod Army in front, before Danny Andrew secured the win two minutes from time.
Midfielder Callum Camps, who joined Town from Rochdale at the start of the season, is Fleetwood’s top goalscorer so far this season, with two of his tally of nine coming in the Pilgrims defeat at Highbury earlier in the campaign.
Irish midfielder Glenn Whelan is Town’s only reported absentee for our meeting on Saturday, with an injury sustained against Wigan Athletic placing the rest of his season in doubt.
For the Pilgrims, Joe Edwards has returned to training, and joins club captain Gary Sawyer and midfielder Lewis Macleod on the recovery trail. Meanwhile, George Cooper continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery.
ARGYLE AT HOME TO FLEETWOOD TOWN IN THE EFL
The record: P 4 W 2 D 0 L 2 F 5 A 6
The first time: 16 March, 2013. nPower League Two. Argyle 2 Fleetwood Town 1
Carl Fletcher’s struggling Pilgrims secured an important win on their first meeting with the Cod Army at Home Park.
Club legend Paul Wotton’s goal from the penalty spot and a Jason Banton strike gave Argyle a 2-0 half-time lead. David Ball scored a consolation in the second half for Town, who also had Paul McKenna sent off late on.
The last time: 24 November, 2018. Sky Bet League One. Argyle 2 Fleetwood Town 1
Freddie Ladapo scored a second-half brace for Derek Adams’ Greens, before Paddy Madden pulled a goal back for the visitors five minutes from time.
Biggest win: 2-1, on two occasions, both detailed above.
Most goals in a single game: Three, in our 2-1 victories in 2013 and 2018 and in a 1-2 defeat on Saturday, 7 October, 2017.
Derek Adams’ bottom of League One team suffered another disappointing loss, despite Alex Fletcher’s first and only goal in the EFL five minutes into injury time at the end of the match.
Fletcher’s effort was to prove just a consolation following Jordy Hiwula’s 63rd minute opener for the visitors, and Amari’i Bell’s strike three minutes into second-half injury time.
Saturday’s fixture kicks-off at 3pm, and is available to stream live, and worldwide, on iFollow Argyle. Click here to purchase your pass.