Argyle clinched a valuable three points on the road after a pulsating 3-2 win against Cambridge United at Cledara Abbey Stadium.
A first-half own goal from a Xavier Amaechi corner saw the Greens lead at the break, and Harvey White’s deflected shot that ricocheted off Amaechi doubled the advantage early in the second half.
The U’s got one back through Sullay Kaikai before a Bim Pepple penalty restored Argyle’s two-goal lead. Shayne Lavery scored late on to make it nervy but Tom Cleverley’s side clung on to return to winning ways.
The first chance of the game came as Kaikai slipped beyond Alex Mitchell on the left and crossed low, Murphy Cooper parried for Louis Appere but he couldn’t quite connect with the finish and Cooper recovered to claim.
Argyle’s first half-chance came after good combination work between Amaechi and Will Evans. Matty Sorinola’s throw found Amaechi who flicked round the corner for Evans, he played Pepple through but the forward was muscled off the ball by Cathal Heffernan. There were calls for a penalty from Pepple but they were waved away.
Moments later, a Cambridge corner was cleared to Ben Knight who saw a shot deflected behind for another one. The next corner was worked short to Knight; he dinked for the back post and Appere looped a header onto the roof of the net.
The Greens were then almost level but for two outstanding saves from Jake Eastwood. The first was from a White free kick where he got down low to push away. Amaechi collected and crossed for the back post where Mitchell laid it off for Evans who struck for the bottom corner and Eastwood somehow got there to keep it out.
Evans was then dispossessed on the halfway line, the U’s worked it wide to Kaikai who cut inside and fired a fierce strike from range, but it was always rising.
Raees Bangura-Williams should have then done better for the hosts. A long goal kick was flicked on by Appere and he was in behind the Argyle defence but his attempted lob went well over the crossbar and away for a goal kick.
In the 40th minute, the Greens took the lead. Amaechi curled in a dangerous corner that caused havoc and flicked into the corner off Appere.
Pepple almost made it two before the break. Sorinola stole the ball and slid him through on goal but Heffernan got back just in time as the frontman was about to finish. That was the last action of the first half.
Argyle came flying out of the blocks in the second half and doubled their lead after 50 minutes.
Amaechi did well on the right to cut inside two players, he found Tyreeq Bakinson on the edge of the box who set it off for White who took a touch and fired a shot at goal that took a slight deflection off Amaechi to wrongfoot Eastwood and find the back of the net.
Minutes later, the U’s had one back. Liam Bennett curled a cross in from the right that flicked off an Argyle player, Cooper made a brilliant diving save but Kaikai nicked in at the back post to tap home.
The game was beginning to open up with the hosts searching for a leveller. Argyle nearly profited with Sorinola and Amaechi combining on the right. The former dinked for the back post where Evans headed across for Pepple but he saw his header clip the crossbar and go over.
Lavery was introduced for the U’s and looked lively. Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu combined with Zak Bradshaw on the left and the ball found its way through to the forward but he could only poke straight at Cooper.
He then had another chance from a corner as the ball dropped for him but his shot flicked behind for a corner. Sorinola headed the set piece away.
Caleb Watts was then introduced by Cleverley and he made an immediate impact. He picked up the ball centrally and played an outrageous through ball in behind for Evans to collect and he was wiped out by Eastwood as he tried to round him. Pepple made no mistake from the penalty spot sending the U’s stopper the wrong way.
The game began to peter out but out of nowhere the hosts got one back. Knight curled in a free kick from the right, Kell Watts nodded across the box and found Lavery he found the corner with a great header.
It was all United then and Knight was causing Argyle problems. He found space and forced Cooper into a save.
The Newmarket Road End did everything it could to suck in an equaliser for the U’s but Argyle held on for a crucial three points on the road.
Cambridge: 1 Jake Eastwood, 2 Liam Bennett, 6 Kelland Watts, 9 Louis Appéré, 10 Ben Knight, 11 Sullay Kaikai, 15 Cathal Heffernan, 17 Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (12 Callum Stead, 79’), 22 Zak Bradshaw, 38 George Hoddle (8 Owen Moxon, 60’), 44 Raees Bangura-Williams (19 Shayne Lavery, 60’). Substitutes: 13 Gabriel Breeze (GK), 5 Patrick Bauer, 7 Isaac Heath, 29 Sam Curtis.
Yellow cards: Kaikai, 14’, Heffernan, 90+5’
Goals: Kaikai, 57’, Lavery 86’
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 3 Jack MacKenzie (22 Alex Hartridge, 77’), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 7 Harvey White, 9 Will Evans, 10 Xavier Amaechi (17 Caleb Watts, 67’), 15 Alex Mitchell, 19 Tyreeq Bakinson (23 Bradley Ibrahim, 82’), 27 Bim Pepple, 29 Matty Sorinola (8 Joe Edwards, 82’), 45 Wes Harding (capt). Substitutes: 21 James Storer (GK), 11 Ronan Curtis, 14 Oliver Irow.
Yellow cards: Mitchell, 12’, Bakinson, 29’
Goals: Appere (OG), 41’, Amaechi, 50’, Pepple, 74 (PEN)’
