The story of Argyle’s 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town had, to a degree, been coming.
For the third game in a row, Argyle were excellent in a first half, and took a lead, this time through Bim Pepple. Like their 1-0 wins over Peterborough United and Luton Town in recent weeks, Argyle did not add to their tally, despite dominance. Unlike those games, they conceded an equaliser, when Ryan Sweeney scored for Mansfield late in the first half. A tired looking Argyle could not generate as many chances in the second period, and the game rather petered out.
Saturday’s win over Luton had yielded some injury concerns, and there were mixed results from those concerns for Tom Cleverley. Notably, the injury that forced Joe Ralls off in the early stages of the clash with the Hatters meant he missed this game, and Lorent Tolaj, visually struggling at the end of the game, also missed out. In addition, Conor Hazard did not pass muster.
On the positive front, Brendan Wiredu, also taken from the field with a knock against Luton, recovered sufficiently to play. Also, Owen Oseni had recovered from his recent ailments to be on the bench, and Jack MacKenzie was in a match-day squad for the first time since signing in the summer.
The changes meant Luca Ashby-Hammond was in goal, with an unchanged back four of Joe Edwards, Mathias Ross, Alex Mitchell and Brendan Galloway. Wiredu joined Malachi Boateng in the middle of midfield, with Matty Sorinola and Ronan Curtis either side. Watts’ role was to come in and play as a second striker with Bim Pepple.
Pepple, though, was certainly not playing second fiddle to anyone. He was at the heart of everything in the first quarter of the game, starting with a shot in the fifth minute that deflected into the air and landed on the roof of the net.
In the 20th minute of a slow burner of a game, Pepple put the Pilgrims in front. It came from a smart interception from Wiredu, reading the play and immediately releasing the Canadian forward. Pepple moved towards the area, with a parallel run by Watts keeping defenders far enough at bay. Pepple took aim from range, and the ball bounced once before flying past Liam Roberts in the Mansfield goal.
Argyle deserved their lead, and they were even better for the next 15 minutes after that. More great work from Wiredu set Curtis off on the right, and his cross found Pepple, who struck for goal after one bounce. Roberts’ save was excellent – and he was about to make a better one.
On 32 minutes, Sorinola crossed from the left, and saw his centre met by a Watts diving header, which Roberts repelled. The save was so good, when the camera settled on Watts, still lying on the floor from his exertion, he was laughing in disbelief.
Argyle kept seeking a second. Curtis was released by a neat ball over the top by Boateng, and dragged an effort wide after finding it tricky to bring down the bouncing ball. This was on 37 minutes, and the Stags had barely laid a glove on their hosts to that point. This was about to change.
Their first foray forward came from a gift. Wiredu’s errant pass was seized upon by Oliver Irow, who worked Ashby-Hammond for the first time. The Argyle keeper was up to the task, pushing away well, but Mansfield were to shortly find their range.
After a spell on the front foot following a free-kick, Mansfield got the ball to Regan Hendry on the right, and he was afforded the time and space to cross, left-footed, into a crowd. The ball rather cannoned off Mansfield defender Sweeney, and into the net.
It was 1-1 at half-time, and Argyle had been made to pay for just scoring once in their lengthy dominance, although Mansfield owed a debt of gratitude to their goalkeeper, too.
Mansfield made two changes at the break, which indicates plenty about how, despite the scoreline, manager Nigel Clough realised they had been second best. Aaron Lewis and Luke Bolton were the men withdrawn, with Jon Russell and Elliott Hewitt coming on. Six minutes later, an injured Lucas Akins was replaced by Victor Adeboyejo.
In between those times, Argyle hearts were in mouths when a Frazer Blake-Tracy shot took a heavy deflection, but veered off target and wide.
Argyle did up it, though, and the game returned to the pattern of the Greens on the front foot, with a couple of Curtis corners causing consternation. One even hit the bar after being turned there by the goalkeeper, but the referee had seen a foul, to the irritation of the Green Army, who had aired their frustrations on several occasions.
Just after the hour mark, and just after Sorinola had gone into the book, Argyle brought on Xavier Amaechi for Sorinola, switching Curtis to the left wing.
Curtis was the next to have a shot on target, hitting a low free-kick which was pushed away by Roberts. It may well have even been the intention to force the parry back into play, but Mansfield mopped up, and Curtis showed apoplexy that no-one had followed in his initial effort.
Argyle brought on Oseni for Watts on 73 minutes, and sought a winner, but found Mansfield a stubborn opponent.
In the last minute of the 90, chaos nearly reigned. Argyle won a free-kick high on the left, which Amaechi swung into the box. The ball ricocheted around the six-yard box a little, then Mansfield broke. Ashby-Hammond came out to clear, but hit his clearance into the rapidly retreating Amaechi, and fortunately, when the ball fell to a Town foot, Argyle had enough to cover and clear.
In a stingy-seeming three minutes of injury-time, Wiredu struck an effort on target which Roberts, Mansfield’s best player, pouched, and that was that.
Argyle: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond, 2 Mathias Ross, 4 Brendan Wiredu, 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 15 Alex Mitchell, 17 Caleb Watts (18 Owen Oseni, 73), 19 Malachi Boateng, 22 Brendan Galloway, 27 Bim Pepple, 28 Ronan Curtis, 29 Matty Sorinola (10 Xavier Amaechi, 62). Substitutes: 13 Zak Baker (gk), 3 Jack MacKenzie, 6 Kornel Szucs, 7 Jamie Paterson, 24 Caleb Roberts.
Goals: Pepple 20
Booked: Edwards 16, Sorinola 59
Mansfield Town: 1 Liam Roberts, 5 Ryan Sweeney (capt), 6 Baily Cargill, 7 Lucas Akins (19 Victor Adeboyejo, 51), 8 Aaron Lewis (13 Jon Russell, half-time), 18 Rhys Oates (2 Kyle Knowle, 81), 20 Frazer Blake-Tracy, 23 Deji Oshilaja, 24 Regan Hendry (22 Nathan Moriah-Welsh, 74), 27 Luke Bolton (4 Elliott Hewitt, half-time), 44 Oliver Irow. Substitutes: 17 Max Dickov, 34 Oliver Taylor.
Goals: Sweeney 43
Booked: Oshilaja 86, Blake-Tracy 90
Attendance: 14,131 (527 away)
Referee: Will Finnie
