A clinical Stevenage display saw Argyle suffer a frustrating 3-0 defeat at SPORTA Arena on Tuesday night.
Michael Mellon opened the scoring for Stevenage after combining with Josh Magennis to break the deadlock in the 19th minute. Magennis then turned from provider to scorer as he doubled the hosts’ advantage on the 27-minute mark, before Phoenix Patterson put the game beyond the Pilgrims late in the second period.
Argyle struggled to recover from a costly eight-minute spell in the first half and were unable to launch a comeback, succumbing them to successive league defeats for the first time this season.
Tom Cleverley made three changes to the side that lost to Huddersfield at the weekend with Joe Edwards, Tyreeq Bakinson and Oliver Irow coming in for Jack MacKenzie, Bradley Ibrahim and Caleb Watts.
Edwards returned to the lineup at right-back with Wes Harding on the left and Alex Mitchell and Alex Hartridge occupying the centre-back positions. In midfield Ronan Curtis and Irow flanked Bakinson and Harvey White, allowing Bim Pepple and Will Evans to continue their partnership up front.
Argyle started brightly with Curtis delivering two tempting crosses early on that were dealt with well by the Boro defence.
However, it was Stevenage who opened the scoring with the first proper chance of the game. After an Argyle throw-in, Magennis flicked the ball into the path of Mellon, who struck a right-footed shot into the back of the net.
The hosts kept the ball well after scoring and continued to play some good, passing football until they doubled their lead. As the clock ticked over to 27 minutes Magennis capitalised on a loose ball inside the box after Cooper’s parry from Broggio’s cross fell into the striker’s path.
Curtis had two headed chances to pull a goal back for Argyle towards the end of the first period. It was Irow who provided the crosses for his fellow winger, but both times Curtis missed the target.
Cleverley opted for a double change at the break in search of a second-half response as Watts and Xavier Amaechi replaced Irow and Curtis.
The Greens came out for the second half with greater urgency and created a series of opportunities in the opening stages of the second half.
Edwards’ burst down the right flank and earnt a corner from which Argyle almost scored. White’s delivery was met at the front post by Evans who flicked the ball onwards to Mitchell, but the defender’s header was directed into the back of his own teammate, Bakinson.
Another corner came shortly after, and so did another chance for Argyle to get back in the game, but Evans and Pepple both saw their shots blocked following a scuffle in the box.
The Pilgrims failed to capitalise on their period of positivity against a determined and hard-working opposition.
Stevenage should have put the game beyond Argyle’s reach in the 71st minute when Cooper made a great save to deny Dan Kemp. The midfielder nicked the ball from Bakinson, before hitting a powerful shot to the left of Cooper, whose flailing arm was enough to keep it out of the net.
Moments later Boro had another opportunity to extend their lead that was once again kept out by Cooper. Magennis received the ball on the edge of the box and cut in onto his right foot to fire a shot at goal – only for it to be parried away by the Argyle keeper.
A change of shape followed for the Pilgrims upon the introduction of Matty Sorinola and Bradley Ibrahim who came on in place of Edwards and Bakinson. Argyle switched to a back three with Amaechi and Sorinola operating as wing-backs.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Stevenage put the game beyond Argyle. Kemp received the ball in space and drove towards goal before laying a pass off to substitute Phoenix Patterson who made no mistake and slotted past Cooper.
Cleverley’s side will be looking for a response on Saturday afternoon when they face another long away trip to Cambridge United.
Stevenage: 1 Tommy Setford, 2 Luther James-Wildin, 5 Carl Piergianni (capt), 8 Daniel Phillips, 9 Josh Magennis, 10 Dan Kemp, 14 Saxon Earley, 15 Terence Vancooten, 23 Louis Thompson (7 Terry Taylor, 74), 27 Ben Broggio (44 Phoenix Patterson, 64), 28 Michael Mellon (18 Oliver Sanderson, 64). Substitutes: 12 Daniel Barden (GK), 16 Kaelan Casey, 19 Tugra Turhan, 20 Chem Campbell.
Goals: Mellon 19, Magennis 27, Patterson 83
Booked: Thompson 7
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 7 Harvey White, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (29 Matty Sorinola, 76), 9 Will Evans, 11 Ronan Curtis (10 Xavier Amaechi, 46), 14 Oliver Irow (17 Caleb Watts, 46), 15 Alex Mitchell, 19 Tyreeq Bakinson (23 Bradley Ibrahim, 76), 22 Alex Hartridge (5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 87), 27 Bim Pepple, 45 Wes Harding. Substitutes: 21 James Storer (GK), 3 Jack MacKenzie.
Booked: Curtis 4
Referee: Thomas Parsons
