Match Report | Blackpool 2-4 Argyle

Bim Pepple celebrates against Blackpool

Argyle clinched a stunning 4-2 victory away at Blackpool after an enthralling encounter at Bloomfield Road.

The hosts went ahead in the first half after Jordan Brown’s strike deflected off Wes Harding and sent Murphy Cooper the wrong way.

Oli Irow then brought the Greens level with a clinical finish and he got his second early after the interval with another deadly strike following a Ronan Curtis cross. 

Harvey White got Tom Cleverley’s sides third with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box and Bim Pepple killed the game late on after Jerry Yates had made it nervous by reducing the deficit to one. 

Argyle almost took the lead in the first minute for the second week running as a long Harding throw was cleared initially and his cross was flicked goalwards by Will Evans, but it was saved comfortably by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Josh Bowler then got in behind Matty Sorinola and saw his shot pushed behind by Cooper. 

Moments later, he had more joy and cut onto his left foot and bent a shot for the far corner, but it went just over the crossbar with Cooper beaten. 

Argyle should have then taken the lead. Ronan Curtis won his battle on the right worked his way into the area, but his shot was straight at Peacock-Farrell when it was easier to score. Irow then scuffed the rebound wide on the half volley. 

Alex Mitchell clipped a pass into Pepple who took it down in the area and saw the ball cleared as he was about to shoot. It fell to Tyreeq Bakinson on the edge of the box who controlled and struck at goal, but it went wide. 

Bowler continued to be the main source of creativity for the hosts in the first half and played a pass into Tom Bloxham in the box, he rolled it back to the wide man who struck at goal, but it was blocked by a combination of Julio Pleguezuelo and Mitchell. 

Mitchell then had a chance of his own as he met a Curtis corner at the back post and it was cleared close to the goal line. 

The hosts took the lead seconds later with a huge stroke of fortune. A cross from the right was cleared but fell to the edge of the box and was collected by Brown who fired at goal and it took a huge deflection sending Cooper the wrong way. 

Argyle looked for an immediate response and found it five minutes later. The ball was slid through to Pepple, he passed to Bakinson on the edge of the box who drove into the area and found Irow who clinically finished into the far corner. 

The Greens looked to turn the screw before half time and Matty Sorinola saw a shot deflect just wide. White curled in the resulting corner, and it fell to Pleguezuelo at the back post, but his shot found the side netting when he looked destined to score. 

The first chance of the second half came for Argyle after Irow was fouled on the edge of the box. White took the resulting free kick and struck it low under the wall, but Peacock-Farrell got down well to push it wide. 

Cleverley’s side had started the second half as they’d finished the first with all the momentum and got ahead. Evans battled for the ball on the right and found Curtis, he drove to the byline and his cross deflected into the path of Irow who lashed a finish into the far corner again to get his, and Argyle’s, second of the game. 

Pleguezuelo almost then made it three, his header from a corner was cleared off the line, Mitchell and Curtis looped it back goalwards and it was cleared again but it fell to Evans who controlled and went down under pressure in the area, but nothing was given. 

It didn’t take long for the third to come though, and it was some goal. White plucked a ball out of the air, spun on it leaving three defenders for dead and thumped a strike in at the near post leaving Peacock-Farrell no chance. 

Argyle took their foot of the gas for a period and were punished by Yates. He collected Bowler’s cross in the penalty area, controlled and fired in off the post.

Curtis struck a free kick from range after Harding was fouled but it was straight at Peacock-Farrell. 

Pepple then pounced on an Ashworth mistake and was in behind, but his shot went wide of the goal.

Blackpool’s tails were up after the Yates goal but White had another chance striking just over from range. 

The hosts then probably should have levelled. Mitchell and Cooper got themselves in a mix up and Dion Charles got round the Argyle goalkeeper, but his shot was headed clear by Joe Edwards close to the goal line. 

The Greens then finally killed the game as Curtis spun a ball in behind for Pepple, he controlled on his chest and was too strong for Ashworth and went through on goal and slotted beyond Peacock-Farrell. 

Three wins in a row for the Greens. 

Blackpool: 1 Bailey Peacock-Farrell, 3 Zac Ashworth, 4 Oliver Casey, 6 Jordan Brown (7 Leighton Clarkson, 79), 8 Albie Morgan (19 Dion Charles, 74), 11 Josh Bowler, 12 Jerry Yates, 14 Tom Bloxham, 17 Karoy Anderson, 28 Jordan Williams, 32 Josh Earl (26 Finley Munroe, 59). 

Substitutes: 23 Luke Southwood, 2 Andy Lyons, 21 Ilmari Niskanen, 46 Oliver Hunter.

Goals: Jordan Brown, 30, Yates 72

Yellow card: Yates, 38, Williams 47, Anderson 71

Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo (2 Mathias Ross, 66), 7 Harvey White, 9 Will Evans (23 Bradley Ibrahim, 86), 11 Ronan Curtis, 14 Oliver Irow (17 Caleb Watts, 77), 15 Alex Mitchell, 19 Tyreeq Bakinson, 27 Bim Pepple, 29 Matty Sorinola (8 Joe Edwards, 66), 45 Wes Harding (capt). Substitutes: 21 James Storer (GK), 10 Xavier Amaechi, 18 Owen Oseni.

Goals: Oli Irow, 36, 52, White 57, Pepple 89