And then were four. Argyle have four games remaining to extract as many points as possible in the quest for survival in the Sky Bet Championship.
The final quartet of fixtures begins at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, for a Good Friday clash with Michael Carrick’s Boro.
It is a venue where Argyle were victorious last season, and may need to be again to stay in the race to claw above the dreaded dotted line.
Recent fortunes have toyed with the Green Army’s emotions. Argyle won at home to play-off chasing Norwich City, then faltered at mid-table Swansea City, potentially damaging their quest. Saturday, though, saw a determined come-from-behind win over third-placed Sheffield United, meaning chinks of sunlight still peek through the windows.
“It feels like four finals for us; four all-in games,” said Argyle Head Coach Miron Muslic. “The last game we had, just a couple of days ago here against Sheffield United, we managed to do this as a collective.
“We were 1-0 down at half-time – not really deserved for Sheffield United, but that’s how it is. That's when you face this individual quality of the opponents, but we stayed in the game, and if you stay in the game, you always have a chance to bounce back and, and to equalise.
“That was also the message in the half-time: just stay in the game and we will create some moments for us, especially knowing we are playing to the Devonport End, where madness can happen in the last 10, 15 minutes. Nance is telling me this consistently for the last fourmonths, and it actually happened. This time, we catch the train to turn this.
“So, with this mindset, with this spirit, we have to travel to Middlesbrough and try to surprise again. This will be again, a massive challenge, a top opponent. It is how it is. You can't pick them anymore, and that's okay. We believe that we can do this.
“It's a rollercoaster. Consistently. That's where we are very up and down. But actually this team showed that we can follow up and we can win back-to-back. It was against West Brom, Liverpool and Millwall.
“We need this script and this scenario again, to have a chance. Not everything can be to the game plan. You can prepare everything best possible, and still you can be 1-0 down, but just remain calm for the next 5-10 minutes, because if you can manage to stay in the game, you always have a chance to come back.
“Sheffield United was the best possible example, but also Swansea and Hull City, when we conceded the first one, just a couple of minutes later [we conceded] the second one. Then, it's difficult to remain in the game and to bounce back.”
Middlesbrough are in the play-off race, in eighth place, three points shy of the total of sixth-placed Coventry City, who happen to visit Home Park on Monday.
Among the Boro ranks are former Pilgrims Finn Azaz and Morgan Whittaker, among an array of attacking talent. Miron recognises Boro’s abilities, especially in possession, but remains hopeful Argyle can spring another surprise, and keep hopes alive.
He told Argyle TV. “First of all, they have two former Argyle players, with a lot of individual quality, on the left and right, with Finn and with Morgan. In my opinion, they are the best team in possession, the best team with the ball. Very dominant, very structured when they have the ball, but also things where we can hurt them if we do our things right and if our setup is structured.
“We’re going to face another heavyweight opponent, especially away, but it's also a pattern throughout the whole season, especially since January, against the big teams we're collecting points. Why not again on Friday?”
