Xavier Amaechi scored a last-gasp winner for Argyle to take home all three points in a chaotic lunchtime encounter at Home Park against AFC Wimbledon.
The Dons went in front when Jayden Stockley put them in front on 16 minutes, with Argyle equalising via Caleb Watts ten minutes later.
There were times when both teams had great chances to get a winner, and other moments where they felt hard done by from a refereeing call. However, in the end, Amaechi managed to find the back of the net late on to give Argyle a vital win.
The eyecatching omission in the Argyle starting line-up was Bim Pepple. The in-form Canadian forward missed out through injury, and was replaced in the 11 by Caleb Watts.
This was the only change as compared to last Saturday’s win at Leyton Orient, meaning Murphy Cooper once again played behind a back four comprising Joe Edwards, Mathias Ross, Alex Mitchell and Wes Harding. Bradley Ibrahim kept his place in the middle of midfield, alongside Harvey White, with Ronan Curtis and Oli Irow either side. Watts played in the front two with Will Evans.
Wimbledon came into the game having scored just six times, and conceded only eight, in their eight league games. However, despite expectations of a tight encounter, the game started fairly openly.
The Dons gave Argyle an early scare, with Aaron Sasu sending a ball along the six-yard line which was begging to be converted, but no-one could.
At the other end, Argyle went close when Wimbledon did not really clear from a corner, and White slammed in a volley that went not far wide.
The visitors took the lead just after the quarter-hour mark, though, from a good move down their right. Callum Maycock took up a good, inside-right, position, and managed to clip in a low cross, to which Stockley reached first. He did enough to turn goalwards, and the ball found the corner, beating Cooper at full stretch.
Argyle looked to respond, and they had an excellent chance when Watts drew two defenders to him, opening space for Irow, who took his shot first time, but saw it comfortably saved. In his understandable haste to shoot, Irow may not have noticed the space he was in, and could well have taken a touch and advanced a few yards, had he known.
On 25 minutes, the equaliser arrived. It was deserved for Argyle’s endeavour, both in the game and in the moment.
Playing through the lines, Irow thought fast, and helped the ball on to Evans, approaching the penalty area. In turn, Evans took his shot quickly, and hooked it on target, Wimbledon goalkeeper Josef Bursik saved, but the ball fell loose. Watts reacted quickest, arrived before the defender, and knocked into the net before Bursik could react.
Argyle suffered a setback shortly afterwards when Edwards pulled up, and had to be replaced by Matty Sorinola, who came on for his 100th Argyle appearance.
On 34 minutes, Stockley probably thought he had put Wimbledon back in front. The lively Sasu burst down the left, and sent in a powerful cross that Stockley turned goalwards. A goal seemed inevitable, but Cooper produced the best save of his Argyle career so far to keep it out.
There was an argument to say that Argyle were creating more opportunities, even if Wimbledon’s were perhaps less regular, but seemingly more dangerous.
The Greens had two more efforts before the half was up. Watts had a bit of a swipe with his left foot, inside the area, when he too possibly did not realise the space he was in, and then a good piece of Wimbledon defending meant Irow did not have any time at all when running onto a low cross.
Early in the second period, Wimbledon hit the woodwork, with Ollie Harrison leaping highest from a right-wing corner and seeing his headed effort hit the top of the bar and go over.
Argyle might have felt that they could have had a penalty just before the hour mark. A corner by White ended up coming back to him, and his return ball was flicked on by Evans. Watts got the other side of Harrison and went down under the pressure. It could very easily have been given as a spot-kick.
Within moments, Wimbledon broke at speed, and with numbers over. Wes Harding was the sole defender as white shirts sped around him, and there is a good argument to be had that Harding halted Yiadom’s progress with a pull on the attacker’s arm, as Cooper ran out to smother the ball. It was outside the area, so would not have been a penalty, but had the foul been given Harding would likely have been sent off.
The sidelines were by now a curious sight, as both sets of coaches were both pleading their cases; they probably both had a point.
Argyle had a great chance when more excellent industry from Watts allowed him to shift a ball to Irow, who crossed for Evans, but the forward headed over from just inside the six-yard area.
The Pilgrims brought off Irow, to introduce Amaechi, but it was Wimbledon who had the next big opportunity of this wide-open game. As Yiadom arrived at the far post to meet another high-quality low cross, the Green Army may have been braced to go behind again. However, Cooper came to the rescue once more, covering ground, making his body big, and saving well.
Each team made a double change on 75 minutes, with Argyle’s seeing Alex Hartridge and Tyreeq Bakinson coming on for Harding and Watts.
Bakinson was soon involved. Argyle had a chance when Evans kept a ball alive and crossed, with Ibrahim getting onto a loose ball and having a shot blocked on the line. It then fell to Bakinson, whose follow-up effort was also charged down.
It looked like the game was destined for a draw, with both sides struggling to create a clear goalscoring opportunity as we entered the four minutes of stoppage time.
That was until Amaechi had his say.
Hartridge closed down Yiadom as the Wimbledon defender looked to clear, but the Argyle man did enough to deflect the ball into the path of Amaechi, who made no mistake when lifting the ball over the top of Josef Bursik and into the back of the net, to earn a last-gasp winner for the Greens.
Tom Cleverley’s side will now be looking to build on this result next weekend, when they host Huddersfield Town in a 3pm kick-off at Home Park.
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 2 Mathias Ross, 7 Harvey White, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (29 Matty Sorinola, 30), 9 Will Evans, 11 Ronan Curtis,14 Oliver Irow (10 Xavier Amaechi, 65), 15 Alex Mitchell, 17 Caleb Watts (19 Tyreeq Bakinson, 77), 23 Bradley Ibrahim, 45 Wes Harding (22 Alex Hartridge, 77). Substitutes: 21 James Storer (GK), 3 Jack MacKenzie, 38 Seb Campbell.
Goals: Watts 25, Amaechi 90+5
AFC Wimbledon: 39 Josef Bursik, 3 Steve Seddon, 5 Ollie Harrison (10 Zack Nelson, 76), 6 Ryan Johnson (capt), 8 Callum Maycock (11 Marcus Browne, 76), 9 Jayden Stockley, 12 Alistair Smith, 17 Andy Yiadom, 21 Myles Hippolyte, 29 Aron Sasu (2 Steven Sessegnon, 90+1), 33 Isaac Ogundere (15 Freddie Simmonds, 17). Substitutes: 1 Nathan Bishop (GK), 22 Riley Horan, 23 Harry Cornick.
Goals: Stockley 16
Attendance: 15,277 (481 away)
Referee: Stephen Parkinson
