Four goals, from three forwards, gave Argyle a comprehensive three points at Burton Albion.
Lorent Tolaj put Argyle in front on the half-hour mark, with strike partner Owen Oseni getting the second just before half-time. Tolaj’s second, Argyle’s third, came ten minutes after the restart, and substitute Bim Pepple made it four nine minutes from time.
The decision to play Oseni and Tolaj up front as a pairing at the Brewers was the pre-match talking point. This, with Argyle going to a 3-5-2, meant the Greens were matching up, formation-wise, with a Burton side who came into the game bottom of the table and without a goal in their last three games.
Oseni and Tolaj played in front of a three-man central midfield which consisted of Law McCabe sitting a little deeper than Bradley Ibrahim and Malachi Boateng, who played as box-to-box ‘number 8s’.
Matty Sorinola and Bali Mumba were the wing-backs either side of a back three which consisted of the same personnel as last weekend against Peterborough, but rejigged. This time, Mathias Ross played in the centre this time, with Alex Mitchell to his left and Brendan Wiredu to his right.
Behind them, Conor Hazard not only was given the nod to start in goal over Luca Ashby-Hammond, he was given the captain’s armband as he made his first league start since the final game of last season.
Burton started the brighter of the sides. They dominated possession, and from one break forced Ibrahim to bring down Charlie Webster in a good position. This meant Ibrahim was on a yellow card from the third minute onwards, and will miss the next game through suspension. Webster, by some distance Burton’s best player, marked himself out early as a player needing to be stopped.
From the free-kick, Webster crossed for Kyran Lofthouse to head, and a combination of Hazard and maybe the post kept the ball out. In the ensuing chaos, clerances deflected and the ball ping-ponged around the area, reminiscent of the way Argyle got a winner at Luton, but fortunately for the Pilgrims the ball stayed out of the net.
After 15 minutes of being second best, Argyle started to get further up the field, with Brad Collins getting to a ball just before Tolaj, and Mitchell firing not far over, before the Greens had a huge chance denied.
Argyle kept the ball for an age, being patient and waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Eventually they got Ibrahim in, and his clipped cross was headed on target by Boateng. The Greens had done basically everything right in the build-up, but were thwarted by a tremendous save by Collins.
On 30 minutes, Argyle got their goal. Mumba played a smart early ball into an inside left position, Boateng fizzed in a low cross, and Tolaj turned in from close range.
The goal, although it had been coming, settled Argyle, and unnerved their bottom-of-the-table hosts. Argyle began to see more of the ball, and threatened a second. That said, Burton came very close to equalising before Argyle finally did make it 2-0.
This time, a cross came from Seb Revan, finding Tyrese Shade in space, but Hazard made a superb smothering save when the Burton forward looked heavy favourite to score.
Within three minutes, and basically bang-on half-time, Argyle scored to give themselves a cushion.
Boateng this time got on the end of a Wiredu long throw, glancing on, and finding Oseni in position to hook home a real poacher’s goal.
Burton started the second period with a lot of the ball, but Argyle were comfortable, soaking up Albion possession that never really translated into anything you could describe as pressure.
Ten minutes after the interval, Argyle got their third. Oseni and Ibrahim were involved in getting Tolaj through the centre. Afforded room, the Swiss striker bore down on goal, and even though it seemed the ball may get out of his reach, he toe-ended into the corner, in front of the massed ranks of the Green Army, who by now were, if not counting chickens, were at least laying grain by the hen house.
Argyle sensed more goals could be in the offing. They nearly got one by fortune, as a goalkeeper’s clearance hit Oseni and went wide, and Tolaj nearly got a hat-trick goal when being slipped in again in the left channel, hitting the side netting.
Burton did test Hazard again, with Webster getting onto Jack Armer’s cross, but were denied by the big Ulsterman, before the final goal came from Pepple, on as a sub.
Tolaj was initially denied, but Mumba played a sharp low cross in, and Pepple was well placed to complete the scoring with yet another effort that it is fair to describe as a striker’s goal.
There was nearly room for more. Fresh from his starring role in the midweek 6-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s in the Vertu Trophy, Tegan Finn showed more classy touches before having a shot denied by Collins, and Pepple came close to getting his second when driving not far over.
It was Argyle’s second away win in a row, something they have not achieved since the final two away games of the 2022/23 season. It also means Argyle have 12 points from their last six games, and have won five of their last six games, including Trophy ties, scoring 19 goals in the process.
Go on, have a brew to celebrate.
Argyle: 1 Conor Hazard (capt), 2 Mathias Ross, 4 Brendan Wiredu, 9 Lorent Tolaj (7 Jamie Paterson, 75), 11 Bali Mumba, 15 Alex Mitchell, 18 Owen Oseni (27 Bim Pepple, 72), 19 Malachi Boateng, 20 Law McCabe (24 Caleb Roberts, 85), 23 Bradley Ibrahim (39 Tegan Finn, 77), 29 Matty Sorinola. Substitutes: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond (gk), 14 Ayman Benarous, 22 Brendan Galloway.
Goals: Tolaj 31, 55, Oseni 45, Pepple 81
Booked: Ibrahim 3
Burton: 24 Bradley Collins, 2 Udoka Godwin-Malife (capt), 6 Toby Sibbick (26 Finn Delap, 69), 7 JJ McKiernan (19 Dylan Williams, half-time), 8 Charlie Webster, 9 Jake Beesley (11 Fabio Tavares, 69), 10 Tyrese Shade, 12 George Evans (3 Jack Armer, 69), 15 Kyran Lofthouse (39 Josh Taroni, 82), 16 Alex Hartridge, 23 Sebastian Revan. Substitutes: 27 Kamil Dudek (gk), 41 Buba Krubally.
Attendance: 4,271 (1,600 approx away)
Referee: Tom Reeves
