Argyle turned around a one-goal deficit to win 2-1 at home to Doncaster Rovers at Home Park.
It was a slow start. Doncaster deserved to take the lead when Elliot Lee opened the scoring, and Bim Pepple’s equaliser in first-half injury time might have been harsh on the visitors. But Argyle were good after the break, and although Ronan Curtis had a penalty saved, substitute Herbie Kane got the winner, flighting in a free-kick which evaded all and found the net.
Compared to last Saturday’s defeat when in South Yorkshire, at Rotherham United, not that far from Doncaster itself, Argyle made two personnel changes. Into the team, for the injured Julio Pleguezuelo and Tegan Finn, came Jack MacKenzie and Mathias Ross, with a small amount of rejigging necessary.
Ross came in directly for Pleguezuelo, in the centre of defence, alongside Alex Mitchell. Wes Harding continued at right-back, with MacKenzie, making his first Pilgrims start following four appearances from the bench, on the left of the back four. All were in front of goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond.
MacKenzie coming into the team meant a shift forward for Matty Sorinola, who played in both full-back positions at Rotherham, and now went onto the left side of midfield. On the other flank was Ronan Curtis, with Malachi Boateng once again playing alongside Joe Edwards in the centre. Up front, Caleb Watts played in support of Bim Pepple.
On the Argyle bench there was a welcome return for Herbie Kane, who was last seen limping off at Leyton Orient 18 days prior, and for Academy full-back Joe Mwaro, on the bench in a league game for the first time.
Doncaster had a bright start, with captain and leading scorer Owen Bailey scooping over, and Robbie Gotts dragging limply wide, before Argyle had a nice break, but Pepple’s cross would have been suited to finding, well, himself, rather than falling eight inches above Sorinola’s head.
In truth, the opening 15 minutes of the game was a dreadful spectacle, with Doncaster trying to wring everything out of every dead-ball situation, no matter the location, and the condensed nature of the slow-paced game meaning neither side, least of all Argyle, were able to put any meaningful passing moves together.
Rovers got loanee Elliot Lee into a good position on 17 minutes, but Mitchell ended the threat with a good block. One could sense the belief increasing in the visitors, though, and they took a deserved lead through Lee on 22 minutes.
Argyle tried to clear on a couple of occasions, and did not make the best job of it, but the finish from Lee, catching a dropping ball on the volley, was sublime. It was a much better goal than the quality of game had warranted to that point.
The Greens tried to react immediately; a long throw by Harding reached the far post and an onrushing Curtis, but he could not quite nod in.
Now Doncaster had the lead, it was going to be even more difficult to wrest away control from them. The visitors continued to have the better of things, although Curtis did well to get onto a Boateng flick, cut inside and shoot on target, but Rovers goalkeeper Zander Clark gathered safely enough.
Three minutes before the break, Argyle conjured their best move of the half. In fact, probably the only good move, by either side, before the interval. The Greens worked it nicely, sharply, down the right, with Curtis firing in a low cross which Sorinola was eased, fairly, away from.
Such was the stop-start nature of the first period, an unusually long four minutes of stoppage time was signalled and, during it, Argyle equalised. And nearly took the lead.
The goal came, indirectly, from a Harding long throw from the right. Doncaster repelled the initial delivery, but Harding picked up the loose ball and, under little pressure, clipped in a cross. Watts met it, and Pepple smartly turned home, having anticipated the flight perfectly.
It was Pepple who also had the attempt to put Argyle in front, too. Able to take the ball and spin near the edge of the box, he whipped a low effort not terribly far wide of Clark’s goal.
Had Argyle led at the break it would have been harsh in the extreme on Rovers, who probably felt a bit hard done by to even go in level. The important thing, from a green perspective, was that they not only scored, but perhaps had a bit of momentum to take into the second half.
Within five minutes of the restart, Argyle had a penalty. They had been on the front foot since the outset of the second period, forcing a dangerous corner and pinning Rovers back, before going on the attack down the right.
Curtis had done the hard work, holding off three players and opening space for Harding, outside him. Harding’s cross found Sorinola, and although he could not get a shot away, Curtis did, and it was handled en route.
In the absence of Lorent Tolaj, Curtis assumed penalty-taking duties, but Clark saved the effort, low to the goalkeeper’s right, and Curtis could not connect with the follow-up, either.
Just after the hour, Argyle made their first changes, with Harding and Sorinola making way for Owen Dale and Kane, the latter of whom came on into central midfield, allowing Edwards to go to right-back.
Moments before the change, Argyle had come close, with Pepple showing strength and power to drive to the bye-line and open up enough for a near-post shot, which Clark grabbed at the second attempt.
Jamie Paterson was brought on for the just-cautioned Watts, but it was the two prior subs who both played a part in Argyle taking the lead. Dale tricked his way inside and was fouled, leading to an Argyle free-kick on the left side. Kane took it, and sent in a gorgeous delivery, intentionally aimed at the far post.
It was not a shot, per se, but it was on target, and only Mathias Ross knows if he deliberately got out of the way – one suspects he didn’t, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, the ball went straight in from the foot of Kane, and Herbie (do we say it? Oh, go on then…) went bananas.
Paterson’s first big contribution – and it was crucial – was to throw his body on the line when Doncaster sub Ben Close took aim from just outside the area. It was a terrific block. Doncaster were having their moments, but this was also leaving gaps. Dale had a hit from range, and Curtis nearly ran through onto a Pepple pass, as Argyle sought a third to put the game out of Rovers’ reach.
Dale came close to capping off a really bright cameo with a nutmeg and a shot that Clark saved, and Rovers did apply some pressure deep into injury time, but Argyle saw the game through.
Argyle: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond, 2 Mathias Ross, 3 Jack MacKenzie, 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 15 Alex Mitchell, 17 Caleb Watts (7 Jamie Paterson, 73), 19 Malachi Boateng, 27 Bim Pepple (18 Owen Oseni, 89), 28 Ronan Curtis, 29 Matty Sorinola (35 Owen Dale, 66), 45 Wes Harding (20 Herbie Kane, 66). Substitutes: 13 Zak Baker (gk), 10 Xavier Amaechi, 40 Joe Mwaro.
Goals: Pepple 45+3, Kane 74
Booked: Edwards 21, MacKenzie 58, Pepple 60, Watts 71, Ashby Hammond 90+4
Doncaster: 1 Zander Clark, 4 Owen Bailey (capt), 5 Matty Pearson, 6 Jay McGrath (17 Glenn Middleton, 80), 7 Luke Molyneux, 9 Brandon Hanlan, 12 Neil Byrne (2 Jamie Sterry, 80), 15 Harry Clifton (33 Ben Close, 65), 18 Elliot Lee (14 Billy Sharp, 80), 22 Robbie Gotts (11 Jordan Gibson, 80), 23 Jack Senior. Substitutes: 29 Thimothee Lo-Tutala (gk), 47 Hakeeb Adelakun.
Goals: Lee 22
Booked: Senior 35, Clifton 40, Molyneux 73, Sterry 81
Attendance: 16,046 (537 away)
Referee: Stephen Parkinson
