Argyle clinched a point in a bruising encounter against Wycombe Wanderers after striker Will Evans scored his first goal for the club.
He put the Greens ahead in the 25th minute after picking up the ball in the box from a Harvey White pass and fired brilliantly into the bottom corner.
Michael Duff’s side then levelled with 15 minutes to go after the towering presence of Connor Taylor saw him head beyond Murphy Cooper.
The hosts started the game the brighter clearly trying to use their pace on the flanks and the first notable effort came through Junior Quitirna. He picked up the ball on the left and drove into the area, crossing low, but Alex Hartridge cleared well under pressure.
The Greens were then dealt an early blow in the eighth minute with ever present Malachi Boateng coming out on the wrong side of a 50-50 and being unable to continue with a knee problem.
Moments later, the hosts nearly led as Jamie Mullins tried his luck from range with a cross-come-shot but Cooper managed to scramble back to tip onto the crossbar.
Cook’s raking pass was then won by Silko Thomas, and he flicked on for Daniel Harvie who drove into the area, crossed, and Mullins attempted to flick goalwards but missed the ball and Hartridge cleared.
Thomas was the hosts main early threat and got in behind Wes Harding on the Argyle right. He drove at Mathias Ross who could only foul him on the edge of the box. Ewan Henderson took the free kick, but it was poor and well off target.
The first real clear cut chance of the game came from Ronan Curtis. Ross drove through the middle of the pitch and found the wide man who cut inside onto his right foot and went for goal, but it whistled just over Conor Hazard’s crossbar.
After a period of sustained pressure, Argyle then took the lead. It was brilliant play from Tom Cleverley’s men with Xavier Amaechi finding Bradley Ibrahim centrally, he rolled it back to White who picked out Evans with a great pass. The striker then turned on the ball in the area and finished with aplomb into the bottom corner, leaving Hazard no chance.
Wycombe looked for an immediate response and Josh Scowen clipped a ball into the area for Fred Onyedinma, but his header was straight at Cooper.
Amaechi then curled a free kick in from wide on the left and it caused havoc in the area with Ibrahim almost poking home, but Cook got there first to clear over the crossbar. Curtis’ corner was delivered right on top of Hazard, but he managed to flick over under pressure. That became a theme of Argyle’s set pieces, but the next one came to nothing.
Moments later, Ibrahim combined with Evans and who fed it wide to Curtis, but his cross was too close to Hazard who collected comfortably. The former Argyle man then fed it out quickly to Scowen. He worked it wide to Harvie, and his deflected low cross nearly squirmed in at the front post, but Cooper did well to tip it wide.
Argyle had the ball in the back of the net for a second time just before the break, with Pleguezuelo clipping a pass over the top for Evans who controlled on his chest and lashed a volley into the bottom corner, but the linesman’s flag went up with the celebrations cut short. The Greens could, and maybe should, have been two goals to the good at half time.
The hosts almost immediately levelled after the break. Onyedinma played a neat one two on the right before finding Grimmer in the area who saw a shot deflect just wide. Michael Duff’s side really should have then taken the lead from the resulting corner.
It was worked short and eventually came to half-time substitute Cauley Woodrow who put a header wide from six yards out with it appearing easier to score.
Another good chance then came for the hosts with Thomas curling a cross to the back post where it was nodded down for Woodrow, but Ross got there to block and then Hartridge finished the job brilliantly putting behind for a corner. Mullins curled in the corner and Harvie headed just over from six yards.
Just before the hour mark, Amaechi was fouled on the edge of the box and White curled the free kick just over. Xav then had a chance of his own picking the ball up centrally and driving towards goal and firing a shot from 25 yards, but it was well over Hazard’s crossbar.
Wycombe did then finally find the net with Cooper spilling Harvie’s shot and Tezgel slotting home, but the linesman’s flag was immediately up, and it was ruled out.
Argyle almost clinched the game moments later with a free kick dropping into the area, Evans fired at goal, Hazard parried and it dropped to Pepple who also saw a shot saved. There were also appeals for a penalty from Ibrahim, but nothing was given.
Onyedinma headed just wide, but then Wycombe’s second half pressure did tell and they finally levelled. Harding unnecessarily gave a free kick away on the Argyle right. Henderson curled in the free kick and found the head of Taylor who headed home unopposed from eight yards.
After a period of even pressure, the hosts nearly won it late on with substitute Morley crossing for Harvie at the back post, but his header flicked just wide.
Argyle had a couple of breakaway opportunities, but nothing came of them and that was that. A point on the road to get the tally up and running.
Wycombe Wanderers: 23 Conor Hazard (gk), 2 Jack Grimmer (capt) (22 Sam Parker, 68), 3 Daniel Harvie, 4 Josh Scowen (8 Caolan Boyd-Munce, 68), 7 Junior Quitirna (12 Cauley Woodrow, 46), 11 Siko Thomas, 20 Ewan Henderson, 21 Jamie Mullins (19 Emre Tezgel, 57), 28 Connor Taylor, 27 Steve Cook, 44 Fred Onyedinma (5 Aaron Morley, 82). Substitutes: 1 Mikki van Sas, 17 Dan Casey.
Yellow Card: Henderson 45+1
Goal: Taylor 76
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper (gk), 2 Mathias Ross, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo (15 Alex Mitchell, 70), 6 Malachi Boateng (23 Bradley Ibrahim, 8), 7 Harvey White, 9 Will Evans, 10 Xavier Amaechi (17 Caleb Watts, 64), 11 Ronan Curtis, 22 Alex Hartridge, 27 Bim Pepple, 45 Wes Harding (capt). Substitutes: 21 James Storer, 24 Caleb Roberts, 26 Tegan Finn, 29 Matty Sorinola.
Goal: Evans 25
Yellow Card: Harding 75, Evans 80, Ibrahim 84
Referee: Neil Hair
