Just 50 seconds into Argyle’s home game against Burton Albion, Lorent Tolaj hit the bar.
The Argyle number nine’s early effort set a tone in which the Greens were on the front foot, and in control of the game. Argyle won 3-0, with Brendan Galloway scoring before half-time, a second being added from Mathias Ross, and Tolaj rounding things off with a penalty.
The game felt a little like a tipping point, going in. Lose the game, and Argyle’s Christmas and New Year results would have read LDDL, with two points from four games. However, win it – which they did – and depending on what you define as recent form, things look a lot better.
From the last seven games, Argyle have 14 points. That is four wins, two draws and a defeat in that time. Head Coach Tom Cleverley opted to go slightly further back, to the last ten games, which included the win at Port Vale on 22 November.
Cleverley said to Argyle TV, in the Burton game’s aftermath: “[In the] last 10 games, 17 points: that’s top-six form. Over a long period of time, we’ve shown top-six form maybe in four- or five-game periods, but to do it over 10 now really feels like we’re going in the right direction. We have to build on this when we return next week.
“[I am] very pleased. I thought we were well worthy of the three points. We gave the players a challenge to be as positive as we could be from minute one – and we hit the crossbar in the first minute. We had 12 shots in the first half, I think, three on target, five corners.
“We really put them under pressure and repeated that in the second half. We were always in control of the game; we’ve not done enough of that this season.
“You don’t want to see your team just controlling the ball and passing it for the sake of it. I felt, in the first half, we maybe went back too often when we didn’t need to, so we can always be better.
“But I think the control of the football today, most of the time, resulted in putting their box under pressure and putting their goal under pressure. That’s the key. We have to be a real purposeful team while trying to be in control.”
Argyle’s first two goals came directly or indirectly from corners. Galloway’s opener came from Joe Ralls’ corner from the left, which Galloway hooked home. The second goal saw a short corner worked to Ralls, who crossed to Tolaj, and Ross fired in the knockdown.
Scoring from set-pieces has been a little elusive to the Pilgrims in recent weeks, and Cleverley gave the credit to one of his first-team coaches.
“That’d be Matt Bevans,” said the boss. “We were excellent up to the Burton away game, at set plays, then we had an eight- or nine-game period where we didn’t win as many because we weren’t getting the territory and we didn’t look as dangerous.
“We’ve gone back to work on it, doubled down on the principles and the messages. The last three games have been a real source of points and goals for us. Credit to Matt and the guys, and we look to continue that.”
The full interview, along with much more reaction to the victory over Burton, can be found on Argyle TV.
