When Luton Town scored against Coventry City on 26 April, it essentially condemned Argyle to relegation from the Sky Bet Championship.
The Hatters gave themselves hope on the day, but they too succumbed a week later, and now both sides find themselves in League One, trying to bounce back.
For Luton, it was a second straight body blow. Two season ago, they were taking part in their first Premier League season, but the relegation they suffered, falling from England’s top division, was compounded last season.
However, similar to the Greens, Luton finished last season well, only just missing out on staying up, and they have retained a number of players, especially in attacking areas, as they look for an instant return to tier two.
From their six games so far, Matt Bloomfield’s side have won four and lost two. Their defeats have come to Bradford City and another side relegated last season, Cardiff City. Luton’s four wins have all come with clean sheets; they have conceded just three league goals.
Argyle head to Bedfordshire on the back of a convincing 4-2 win against Stockport County last Saturday, and Head Coach Tom Cleverley is hopeful of that win being a springboard to success at Luton.
“A lot of going to Kenilworth Road, you're going to have to defend your box well,” Cleverley told Argyle TV. “They've got an incredible attacking unit; getting the ball in from wide areas from Shayden Morris on one side and [Millenic] Alli on the other, the two dangerous wide players.
“They've got a collection of strikers to pick from, who you could make an argument are all proven at Championship level.
“It's going to be a big test. We have to defend our box, but we also have to have the personality to put our own stamp on the game. I think we can go there, we can have good ball time on the ball where there's good confidence running through the team. I think you saw that in our attacking play last week.
“We have to be more ruthless and clinical than we have been in our three previous away games. It’s a really important game for us.”
For the first time in over a month, there was no midweek game for Argyle. After a run of weeks punctuated by a Tuesday night fixture, Cleverley has been afforded the luxury of seeing his players on the training field all week, and says he has been using that time for knitting the squad further, and development of his charges.
“We all love the games,” Tom said, “but I do enjoy these weeks where we can really do our job, which is to improve players. When you have back-to-back Tuesday/Saturdays, it is very much: ‘how can I prepare the team tactically?’
“In these clear weeks, I feel like you can develop and improve individuals, as well as the collective. It's a lot less rushed and we need to start trying to create these connections in the team to be gelling the 15 new players that we brought to the club. These free weeks really give us time to do that.
“They are priceless in terms of minutes on the training pitch.”
There will be a sold-out away end of over 1,300 of the Green Army on Saturday. With the home sections approaching full too, a good atmosphere awaits.
Argyle fans are still waiting for that elusive away win, which is yet to come this season, and has been so elusive over the last two seasons. Nevertheless, they sold out the away end nearly two weeks before the fixture, and Cleverley continues to be impressed by the dedication.
“It's incredible. It impresses me every time,” he said.
“I'm probably giving my cheesiest answer of the season, but when we get that away win, it'll be for them. They deserve it more than anyone, traveling the miles they do at the times they do, to go have gone through the pain that they have in the last two years.
“We're preparing, we're working as hard as possible that it'll be this weekend. We know it's a tough challenge going to Luton, a team who 16 months ago were a Premier League side.
“But we're in good spirits. We're in good form. We're coming off the back of our best performance of the season. I don't think we could be going there at a stronger time of our season.”
