REPORT | QUEENS PARK RANGERS 0 ARGYLE 0
Queens Park Rangers 0
Argyle 0
A 0-0 draw on a cold December night in the Capital could easily be considered as a forgettable point in Pilgrim history.
In reality, however, it was an Argyle performance packed with the character, discipline and organisation that sums up the qualities required in a gruelling Championship campaign.
Argyle blitzed QPR for the opening 25 minutes and could have scored at least a couple but the evening changed when Dan Scarr was dismissed for the Pilgrims, prompting more than an hour of proud professionalism to earn a battling point.
Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made eight changes from the weekend defeat at Leicester, Conor Hazard, Bali Mumba, Jordan Houghton, Scarr, Ryan Hardie, Brendan Galloway, Luke Cundle and Kaine Kesler-Hayden all coming back into the side.
The Greens took less than a minute to conjure their first opening, Finn Azaz applying a deft touch to send Morgan Whittaker racing clear but his eventual shot was aimed direct at a relieved Asmir Begovic.
A yellow card for Sam Field moments later suggested the Rangers’ midfielder was now in a mode of extreme caution. The disciplinary tables would soon turn against Argyle, but not before Hardie had shot wide after a lapse in the home defence.
The Pilgrims continued to dominate the early exchanges, Osman Kakay clearing under severe pressure from Mumba and then a sweet strike from Hardie forcing the best out of Begovic.
QPR had little answer to the Green siege, as another sweeping move sliced through the home defence but the finish from Hardie was lofted over the bar. Whittaker dragged a shot wide before an Azaz curler drifted inches beyond the far post.
Rangers finally found some attacking impetus through the craft of Ilias Chair but he was thwarted by a retreating Kesler-Hayden. Moments later, the complexion of the whole evening changed, as Scarr was shown a straight red for a foul on Chair.
Schumacher immediately responded by introducing Julio Pleguezuelo to fill the defensive hole, Azaz making way. QPR understandably began to exert some control on territory but, apart from a decent low save by Hazard, the Greens calmly navigated their way to the interval.
Three half-time substitutions from the R’s reflected the change in mindset but Argyle stood firm in response, Lewis Gibson finding two excellent challenges to thwart the hosts. Mickel Miller and Adam Randell were sent on to freshen up the troops in place of Mumba and Whittaker.
Argyle instantly produced an incisive move involving Cundle and Hardie, with the eventual cross just too strong for a diving Kesler-Hayden. A super low cross from Miller almost picked out Hardie, as the Greens grew in belief.
QPR responded with a spell of sustained possession, without creating a real chance to test Hazard, and that was a massive feather in the cap to the likes of Gibson, Pleguezuelo, Miller and Kesler-Hayden, along with the screens in front and behind, keeping a shape to frustrate the numerically advantaged hosts.
The defensive unity was exemplified by a quickfire double save from Hazard, followed by a combination of Gibson and Pleguezuelo clearing a cross from the right.
The final 12 minutes saw Hardie and Kesler-Hayden replaced by Joe Edwards and Mustapha Bundu, as QPR continued to probe without much luck, one scuttling effort from Jimmy Dunne comfortably fielded by the assured Hazard.
The Pilgrim plaudits swiftly switched to Galloway for an extraordinary goal-saving block to deny the lively Chris Willock, quickly followed by more superb defensive work from Gibson.
The tone was set for eight minutes of stoppage time. Hazard found a fine save to thwart Lyndon Dykes but the home pressure was more about hope than expectation, as Argyle secured their brave point.
QPR: 1 Asmir Begovic (capt), 2 Osman Kakay (19 Elijan Dixon-Bonner H-T), 3 Jimmy Dunne, 5 Steve Cook, 7 Chris Willock (30 Sinclair Armstong 90), 8 Sam Field (20 Reggie Cannon H-T), 9 Lyndon Dykes, 10 Ilias Chair, 17 Andre Dozzell, 22 Kenneth Paal (21 Ziyad Larkeche H-T) (18 Taylor Richards 72), 23 Charlie Kelman. Substitutes: 13 Jordan Archer (gk), 6 Jake Clarke-Salter, 11 Paul Smyth, 29 Aaron Drewe.
Booked: Field 2, Paul 31
Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard; 2 Bali Mumba (14 Mickel Miller 57), 4 Jordan Houghton (capt), 6 Dan Scarr, 9 Ryan Hardie (15 Mustapha Bundu 78), 10 Morgan Whittaker (20 Adam Randell 57), 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Finn Azaz (5 Julio Pleguezuelo 28), 22 Brendan Galloway, 28 Luke Cundle, 29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden (8 Joe Edwards 78). Substitutes (not used): 23 Callum Burton (gk), 7 Matt Butcher, 11 Callum Wright, 19 Tyreik Wright, 23 Ben Waine.
Booked: Cundle 86, Butcher 90+4, Hazard 90+5
Sent Off: Scarr 25
Referee: Tony Harrington
Attendance: