THE DAILY DIARY

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On This Day:

Also included on the three most recent days, facts from Argyle's history.

Friday 22nd March 2019

On This Day:

1954: Argyle 4 Blackpool 1; nearly 26,000 flocked to Home Park for a floodlit friendly and a fine win against the famous FA Cup holders and the great Stanley Matthews.

1969: Argyle 2 Swindon 1; the Pilgrims overcame the League Cup winners and the menace of Don Rogers, who destroyed Arsenal at Wembley a week earlier.

21st

On This Day:

1978: Portsmouth 1 Argyle 5; consultant manager Malcolm Allison, in charge for his first away match, inspired Argyle to their biggest away win for 3 years. The team that day: Barron, James, Uzzell, Bason, Foster, Horswill, Fear, Taylor, Binney, Perrin (Trusson), Megson. Scorers: Trusson, Binney (2), Taylor and Fear.

20th

On This Day:

1990: Danis Salman made his Argyle debut in a 2-1 defeat at home to Middlesbrough. The highly experienced 30-year-old was one of David Kemp's first signings to shore up a leaky defence, and he stayed for two years before moving to Torquay, like so many others, for one last season.

1999: Nicky Marker played his final game for Argyle, a 1-0 defeat at Hull. He made 230 appearances, scoring 17 goals, mostly between 1987 and 1993, but also in 1999 when he returned on a month's loan after six years at Blackburn and Sheffield Utd.

14th

The season is not yet over but Derek Adams has already began looking ahead to the next campaign, saying: "We've organised our pre-season schedule, we've just got to agree the games. We're obviously wanting to play here on the 20th and the 27th of July against opposition who are in a higher league than we are, to generate extra money for the playing budget. We'll go away on a pre-season break, to get the players together, and we'll play probably one game abroad. We haven't clarified just yet, but Delden is one of the ones on the itinerary. It's a very good one for us, because of the location and the training facilities. We will play a number of games against local opposition," said Derek. "We go to Tavistock because they provide the Academy with a training facility, so contractually we have to go there. We'll go and play against Torquay, we'll probably go to Truro as well because we haven't been there for a number of seasons and we have a couple of players there on loan. Unfortunately, last year, I couldn't get games here because of the stand being redeveloped, but I've asked for the ground to be ready for us on the 20th and the 27th of July. The staff behind the scenes are trying to get games against Championship sides, Premier League sides, or foreign sides to come across here and play us."

"It's obviously up to the Chairman and Board of Directors. They're obviously looking at the finances at this moment in time, and they have to set down the budget before we can start talking to players. They've obviously got a lot to consider with the new stadium, the implications that that involves, and the new staff coming into the football club out of the football side. They've got to structure it in a way where extra revenue can be found to take in new personnel. We've got a Board meeting at the end of the month, and we'll probably go out for dinner on one of the evenings, that'll be where we discuss things. It's something that we always want to do, keep your best players. We've obviously lost out on players before, because other clubs are willing to spend money that we can't afford. Players are in a situation where they hold a lot of power, from the point of view of their contract. Their agents will be touting them to other clubs, but nothing has changed over the years. That's what the players have employed them to do, to try and get them extra income from another source."

"I've always said that, sometimes, when you leave a football club, it's OK if you go and try to move to another club and chase the money. But, sometimes you don't fit into the style of play at another club and your career can take a nosedive. The only player who has gone to another club and really done anything is Sonny Bradley. He went to Luton, who are riding high at the other end of the division. There's not another player who has left this football club and gone on to much better things. They've got to be careful with what they do moving away from here, because they suit us, and we suit them."

Adams was also keen to impress the importance of not taking League One football for granted until it is secured, in spite of Argyle's position in the top half of the league. He said: "Anywhere from 11th, all the way down, I think that there's still the opportunity for teams to get dragged into it. We've been able to get a gap between ourselves and the bottom three, and I think that that's important. We've just got to pick up as many points as possible, to provide ourselves with safety at the start, and then to see how high up we could finish in the league table. We've put ourselves in a much better position, but it's still extremely tight. We've obviously got the nine games left, and the Easter period where we play a couple of games over that weekend. We play four games in the space of seven or eight days, so it will come around quite quickly towards the end. It's a tight league, there's a lot of teams in it and a lot of teams that thought, a number of games ago, 'we're fine, we're away from the relegation zone', but not now. We know how many points we've got to get to get to safety, and then we'll go from there."

"You never say never, because we have shown in the past that we can catch the teams above us, but we will have to go on a very good run. I'd say we'd have to win seven out of our nine games to do that. We're obviously two wins away from getting to that 50 points figure and then we obviously take it from there, but we've got to get there first. Three wins would surely put us in the league for next year. It is important that we're in League One as a minimum, and we finish as high as we possibly can."

13th

Derek Adams insisted that at this stage in the season it is only obtaining three points that matters as Argyle battle the drop, but he did praise the performance in the 2-1 victory against Shrewsbury. He said: "Three points is vital, and nobody looks at anything other than the result. We can sit here all night and talk about how many chances we created, but at the end of the day it's 2-1 for Plymouth Argyle and we've got the three points. Well, the first-half performance was excellent, we probably should have been 5 or 6 nil up at half-time. The opportunities we had on goal was very good, we started the game very well. Credit to Ruben Lameiras and David Fox taking a quick corner kick and getting Freddie Ladapo a goal. We should've been out of sight, won the game, and had the three points in the bag but we gave away a free-kick, right after half-time, we then give away a corner inside that minute, and then a penalty not long after. They were able to get themselves back in the match without really troubling us. Physically, they were very good, and caused us problems, but the way we passed the ball, it was a better performance from us tonight."

"Going in at half-time, we obviously knew the results everywhere else, and we knew we could get ourselves into twelfth position with a swing of goals. We've been able to do that because Wycombe have lost, but we really should have helped our goal difference a lot tonight, the amount of good openings we got ourselves into and didn't finish it off. It's extremely tight, and we've had a difficult period of games, we've still got nine games to go, and we've obviously got a number of wins that we require to put us in a good position."

Adams was also sure that the referee got both penalty decisions spot on, analysing the two incidences: "I think that both were penalty kicks. When you come into contact with a player inside the box, it gives you a problem. They were both penalties. Matt Macey stood up well to the penalty kick, saved it with his feet, but he just wasn't quite able to kick it far enough out. Credit to one of their players for following-up and getting the rebound. Graham obviously gave away the penalty, and he took it very well. There was a lot of pressure on him, but he was composed and he dispatched it very well. It was all about getting the three points and we were able to do that."

"I think that home form is vital. We've shown that we can go away from home and get points. There's a lot of pressure on us at home because of the expectancy of the supporters, and there was another big crowd here to cheer us on. It's extremely tight, and we've had a difficult period of games, we've still got nine games to go, and we've obviously got a number of wins that we require to put us in a good position."

Antoni Sarcevic gave his thoughts on his thoughts on his return to the starting eleven that saw a victory against his old club Shewsbury, with another soon to be faced on Saturday, musing: "It killed me to miss Sunderland away and Luton at home, two massive games. I was enjoying it, we were flying and that put a bit of a stop to it, I was just gutted. It felt like two years, honestly it felt so long but it was nice for the gaffer to bring me back in and we won, so happy days. The lads were saying I was missed in the last two games. Not only for the gaffer to say that but for the lads to say that I would have done well in the games, it gives me a boost. I was sort of lost with football before I came to Plymouth, the gaffer brought me here and, since day one, he has been a sort of blessing for me. I think Tayls messaged me and I didn't expect that because the gaffer doesn't give much away, so for him to say that, it felt really good. All I can do is try and pay him back as much as I can. He has done a lot for me and my football at the moment. It's a crazy league and I feel like the teams below us have to win as well, and are going to find it tough. We have just got to keep winning and producing performances and I think we'll be okay."

"G was a bit nervous but he has that in his locker. We all had a lot of confidence in him and he stuck the penalty away well. He said the most nervous he felt at a penalty was Crawley away when we got promoted. I don't even want to think about that. If it had ended a draw, that would have been a nasty one to take for the boys because in the first half we should have been a couple more goals up. I think we all could have had two each before half time. I don't want to be disrespectful to Shrewsbury but I do look forward to Fleetwood. I still have a lot of friends there, still speak to a lot of people but, as soon as we get on the pitch, I hope we beat them. If we beat them, we almost catch them. It feels like seven seasons in one, just that sort of year, we have to keep going."

12th

Argyle have climbed into the top half of League One for the first time all season with a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Shrewsbury. Freddie Ladapo put Argyle into the lead early on with a poacher's finish before a tackle from Graham Carey gave away a penalty at the start of the second half. Matt Macey initially made a save but Shrewsbury's Ollie Norburn tapped in the rebound. Argyle won late on though, through a penalty of their own which Carey smashed home. Argyle: Macey, Riley(Threlkeld), Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer, Songo'o(Ness), Fox, Carey, Lameiras(Taylor), Sarcevic, Ladapo. Subs: Cooper, Jones, Smith-Brown, Anderson.

11th

Following the clean sheet and all round good performance from goalkeeper Matt Macey against Luton, Derek Adams said he is happy to have competition for places in such an important position. He also confirmed Antoni Sarcevic will come straight back into the starting eleven following his two match suspension. Adams said: "Matt Macey is a very good goalkeeper, and we've got two good goalkeepers vying for the number one jersey. Matt's now played 29 games, starting appearances, this year, and Kyle's been in goals for a good period of time and done well, so I'm delighted that they're fighting for that jersey. We're still assessing Kyle Letheren, he did try and train on Friday but he still felt it, so we'll wait and see if he's fit, but we've obviously got Matt, who has done well on Saturday. I think that the thing is, we want to have competition for places, we've got Matt and Kyle Letheren fighting for that number one spot, which is great for us. Sarce will come straight back into the team on Tuesday night. He's obviously been a miss when he's been out. We've missed his power, but he'll come straight back in. Lloyd Jones will be back, because he wasn't able to play against Luton."

"Antoni Sarcevic will come straight into the starting 11. He gives us running power, he is a goal threat, he can win the ball back and also create attacks from midfield. He is a big player for us, so we are delighted that he is back in. He will be looking forward to playing against his old clubs, but I'm not looking at it that way, I'm just trying to get one of my best players back into the team. it did not help him] because he was in a good vein of form and was as disappointed as everyone when he missed out, but that's what happened. He's missed two games that we performed well in but when you have your main player coming back, we want to start him. I think it is always good to have that competition and we have very good competition for places, but we will make changes, not only in the starting 11, on the bench as well."

10th

Argyle made a notable switch in their 0-0 draw with leaders Luton- moving to 3-5-2 from their favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. Derek Adams explained the successful rationale: "We played Sawyer and Riley against Justin and Stacey," said the Argyle manager. "We knew that they would play high up the pitch, so that allowed us to defend with the three at the back. We had the two wing-backs that the two full-backs from Luton pushed on to, and I think they did very well against them. I thought it was a good football match, it was very competitive. We started the game well, and were perhaps unfortunate not to have gone ahead, with Ruben Lameiras having a shot just past the post. I thought we had the better of the first-half, and Luton had the better of the second-half. We had to obviously deal with Hylton and Collins, and we dealt well with that. Early in the game Hylton obviously got substituted because he was obviously going to get himself sent off. We dealt with the threat that they've shown this season, we kept a clean sheet, and we tried to get into their final-third a number of times, but we just didn't find that killer pass."

"They had to make the change because if he made another foul then he was going to get sent off. He got warned, after he was booked, for his conduct. They've taken the decision to take him off rather than the referee making the decision. We had to deal with the threat that Luton have with their two strikers – they always like to run in beyond, so we wanted to cause Luton a problem by playing in a different manner, where they had to work out a way to beat us. They weren't able to get the better of us. We're on a great run of form, and we've been able to come into the new year winning so many games, and picking up points against very good teams is vitally important."

On his return tio the side, loanee keeper Matt Macey spoke of one excellent save that he made in the game and stated his hopes of keeping his place in the side: "I think you put that save down to being instinctive. I remember seeing somebody out the corner of my eye coming to the line and you have to trust the defender to clear it, but I've stuck my hand up. I am quite lucky to have massively long arms, so I'm pleased with that. If you make three or four saves, stay calm and don't try to chase the game. To be honest, if you keep a clean sheet you're happy. If you're busy and keep a clean sheet, great, but if I do nothing, we win the game and keep a clean sheet, I am just as happy. Because you're so confident, you don't want to do something stupid; it's all about staying in the game."

"As a goalkeeper, you are going to be busy and have stuff to do. The first game I come back, it is against the team at the top of the league - I quite like the idea of that. We all know what a good team Luton are; they are flying and unbeaten in 20-odd games. We still had a lot of opportunities on the break; we have G and Ruben; we are still a threat; I didn't feel that we were just hanging on. We played the game as we should. In my opinion, it could be a good 0-0 - even if there are not a lot of chances, people were pressing and getting after second balls; it was a good day."

"Kyle has come in and not really put a foot wrong; he set the standard. Unfortunately he got injured last weekend, I'm happy to come in and do my job when I was needed. Of course, I want to try and keep it. You just have to work hard every day. You have to believe that an opportunity will come, whether it's within a week, eight weeks or maybe not this season, if Kyle had managed to stay injury free. We have both had that period out the team and come back stronger."

9th

Argyle secured an encouraging point on the way to securing their League One status with a 0-0 draw against Luton. Matt Macey and Joe Riley returned to the starting eleven for the clean sheet. Argyle: Macey, Edwards, Songo'o, Canavan, Riley, Fox, Threlkeld(Ness), Carey, Sawyer, Lameiras(Anderson), Ladapo(Taylor).Subs: Cooper, Smith-Brown, Wootton, Fletcher.

8th

Derek Adams set down the gauntlet for Saturday's clash with Luton Town, insisting his players are in a buoyant mood as they prepare to face the league leaders. Adams: "We've done really well at home, recently, winning our last game 5-1, so the players are in confident mood. We've put ourselves in a much better position over the last couple of months with a lot of good victories, home and away. It's allowed us to catch a number of teams above us, it's put us in a position where it becomes very tight in the middle of the table, all the way down to 24th position. Luton have sold out their section, and it's another game where we're looking to try and do our best at home," he said. "All the games between now and the end of the season, with 11 games to go, are very big games and we know what we have to do to get ourselves in a good position. We're always looking to catch the teams above us."

As Argyle prepared to face the hatters, Adams also paid tribute to his opposite number in the Luton dugout, Mick Harford, for the job he has done since taking over from Nathan Jones: "Mick's a really nice guy, and he's been able to take things on to the next level with Luton. He's been able to put a run of results together, they haven't been defeated for a good number of months now, which tells you how well he has done. You look at Nathan, he's struggled when he's gone to Stoke, Mick's taken over and seriously taken things on. He's been great for Luton Town football club, and he's a big figure there. They've had a right go at it, recruited to try and get into the play-off positions or above. That's why they're there, if you look at the talent that they've got throughout their squad, and on their bench, that's why they're top of the league. We had a big game last week, away to Sunderland, 30,000 supporters there, riding high up the table. This week's no different with Luton Town, who have done really well this season to get themselves into the number one position."

"We tried last week against Sunderland to try and defeat them at home, but we weren't able to do that. We'd like to try and do that against Luton. They're a very good side, and we have to play the way we have done, over recent weeks, to get the win that we need. We obviously have to limit them to not many opportunities on goal. We've got to play in a way where we're going to create chances. We've done that ever so well, recently, where we've been able to score goals and win football matches. We've competed well, at times this year, against the top sides. We'll have to do likewise on Saturday. The players are in a good place, and ready to go."

With just eleven games of the season remaining, Freddie Ladapo reflected on a successful season so far for himself and stated his desire to score more goals between now and May: "Whenever people tell me my stats, I don't think it surprises me because last season I was making my Premier League debut, so it's not like I'm coming from somewhere not good. I hope to get back there, I think I need to keep proving to people that I've got the quality and the ability to score braces and everything. From my first interview, I always had my targets and I've still got quite a lot of goals left to score but I'm on track. My ambitions are to get back from where I fell from, good performances and a lot of goals. When you drop down a couple of leagues, it is sort of like falling but I don't think it's a bad thing as long as you pick yourself back up and get where you need to be, that's all that matters. It's a huge learning curve, life throws a lot of curveballs at you that you have to then deal with. You may find yourself in the promised land, good scenery, good facilities, and then all of a sudden you might find yourself in a non-league facility and then you have to take that with you, and try to make the best out of it.

"When you make that push from non-league to Premier League, it is drastic and I'm not sure many people make that direct move. When you have players that have been bought for millions and are on a lot of money, it's hard to break into the team, so to come down and actually prove to people with regular games that I can score goals is what I've always wanted to do. That's what I came here for, the regular games and to prove to people that from those games, good things can come of it.

"To have scored 15 goals right now is obviously what I wanted and where I'm looking to see my career. The reason that brought me to Plymouth in the first place was seeing the quality of Graham Carey and Ruben Lameiras; the assists, the good link-up playing and everything they do on the pitch helps me to score more goals. Most of my career I've played up front as a solo striker. Coming to the club, I watched them play the 4-3-3 with the one striker, so that is what I've been more used to because we've played it more regularly but Ryan Taylor has a lot to offer to the team, and hopefully we can find a way to get around things. I watch a lot of football and I watch a lot of strikers - people like Lukaku, Harry Kane - and I try to emulate what they're doing. I watch the best, so I want to be the best, those guys score goals out of nothing. When you watch them, you can pick up and learn things from them and from some of the goals I've scored, you might be thinking 'he must've been watching some of these players.' I obviously had ambitions as a player to return to the Premier League and make a lot out of my short career, so hopefully good things happen from now until the end of the season."

Ladapo also stated that the role of the green army was pivotal in seeing Argyle over the line in home matches, adding: "It's only three sides but it's always jam-packed and loud, and it always makes me feel at home anyway, so I think everyone else would feel good. The crowd is fantastic, the fans sing my name and sing all the boys' names, they've been great for me this whole season and they've given us that extra bit of lift and extra boost. You can see it in the team how much more positive we play at home. This is a key period," Freddie explains "This is where people clinch titles or avoid relegation, so it's the business end of the season and we have to prove to people that we are good enough to stay in this league. It was a big stadium, big crowd and a lot of fans. Knowing that they were in the Premier League two years ago, you know that they come with that big-club name, so there was a lot to do at that stadium. I've played in front of twice that size, I've played away against Manchester United in a Premier League game, so that was 75,000 and that was very loud."

7th

Derek Adams stated his hope that keeper Kyle Letheren would be fit to face League One leaders Luton following his late substitution due to a groin injury at Sunderland. He said: "I didn't think it was too serious on Saturday, he felt a tightness in his groin, so we're very hopeful that he will be able to play. He's put in some good performances, like the whole team have, and it's allowed us to move up the league. He's progressing well, so hopefully that will be fine. He's had an ultrasound scan, the damage is not too serious, which is beneficial to all of us."

Adams also hoped that the call-up to Wales' under-19 squad would be beneficial for developing star Luke Jephcott. Adams added: "He's got another call-up for the under-19 squad. He's been part of the Central League, Premier League Cup and the first-team squad, so he's had an opportunity to experience some games in the first-team. It's up to him now to kick on, push on, and score some goals in the Central League, and obviously perform when he goes away with Wales to keep him pushing ahead. At this moment in time, it's good progress for him. Hugely beneficial for him, all the youngsters have had a lot of game time, in the Peninsula League team, the Central League team, the Premier League Cup or out on loan. He's progressing well, he's been able to get some minutes under his belt, and he's ready now to push for first-team action."

Adams went on to reveal that Argyle will be looking for a new head of recruitment following the departure of Greg Strong. Adams gave an insight as to how the role will change from Strong's old role: "The role's going to change, we're looking for a Head of Recruitment to come in and do a wee bit more than be a Chief Scout – to oversee the recruitment side of the first-team and the reserves, and really set down a marker about taking in players for next season. One that we'd like to try and get is someone experienced in knowing the leagues and getting good players into other teams. Over the last number of years, it is difficult, more and more so, because you need assistance. Greg Strong was the Chief Scout, but he was going to matches to watch the opposition, while we were trying to get players in at the same time, which we're looking to change. We don't scout the opposition at this moment in time, we changed that role before Greg Strong left. We've got other sources, so instead of going live to the matches, we use a lot of different platforms to scout the opposition now."

Freddie Ladapo meanwhile said that Argyle could use the bad memories of the recent 5-1 loss to Luton as motivation to put in a winning performance to end their unbeaten run. He said: "That's how it can be when you don't bring the quality on to the pitch. I remember my days when I was in non-league playing for Margate, you'd go to matches thinking 'I could score a couple here' or 'we could win' and when you're chasing that title, the game becomes more important and you try a little harder. I think we all really struggled in that game, I don't think I saw much of the ball because they had it for the majority of the game. How we started off that game wasn't in the best way, we conceded too early and then kept conceding and we weren't really tight as a collective. The main thing for us is to match the desire that they will obviously bring. They're going to have smiles on their faces, they're going to want to try things, they're going to have a lot of quality, which they've had all season. They've got strikers who are scoring 20-plus goals, midfielders who are assisting all the time and defenders who are keeping clean sheets, so, if we are going to stand a chance, we need to match all of that."

"The vibe has been good this year, starting off with a lot of wins, some draws and only a couple of losses. We have a lot to take to this game. They've had a great season, their unbeaten run stretches to over 20 games and I know when you're up the top, you come to games with a buzz and I think we are going to have to match that buzz and that desire that they're going to bring. As a whole, we need to match everything that they're going to bring; their quality, their desire, their work rate, everything. We need to match all of that and hopefully we can give them a good test. Look at Manchester United coming back from a 2-0 home defeat in the Champions League. Things are meant to be broken."

6th

Derek Adams has been nominated for the Sky Bet League One manager of the month award for February, making it back-to-back nominations for the Argyle gaffer, following his nomination for the same accolade in January.

3rd

Derek Adams admitted that his players may have been caught up in the big occasion in the first half, as Argyle went down to a 2-0 loss at the Stadium of Light. Adams polemicised: "We didn't play very well in the first half. Our ball-retention was poor; we didn't press Sunderland enough. It looked like we were scared, to be perfectly honest. Some of them are not used to playing in front of 30,000 people and that's not an easy thing to overcome. We weren't able, especially in the first half, to cope with that. I think the occasion got to too many of the players today. The choice of passing was poor, as well."

"We changed it when Kyle went down injured in the first half and we got a better grip of the game. We were a lot better in the second half. I just don't think collectively, in the first half, we did well enough – passing the ball and keeping possession was a lot better in the second half. We had to change things about a bit to try to help us, trying to get our creative players on the ball but also to stop Sunderland's creative players playing. We forced the players then to play forward and take chances and, with that, we created a few opportunities. It gave us a better threat. In that, the full-backs became free in their team but we dealt well with that at times. I thought we'd be under more pressure, today, than we were, but it transpired that we did not do well enough when we had the ball, and that caused us a lot of trouble because we gave the ball away needlessly. Sunderland should really be in a higher division than they are. They have got the resources to be there and we can see the class of some of their players that they have shown today. Nobody has come here and won this season. It was always going to be a difficult afternoon for us. We had to play at our best to get anything out of the game, and we didn't play anything like it."

Kyle Letheren came off injured in the second half and was replaced by Arsenal loanee Matt Macey. Adams said of the situation: "He didn't have a lot to do today. He made a couple of good saves. I don't know how many shots on target Sunderland had but it wasn't double-figures, which is quite surprising when you come here. He's got a groin problem and he's obviously struggling so we had to change him with Matt Macey. We'll have to assess him. He obviously felt it. We should have done better at the goals. For the second one, we have allowed the cross to come in very easily and we've had one, probably two, opportunities to clear the ball when it's come across the penalty spot."

"We probably should have had a penalty in the second half when, one, maybe two, hands were put up in the air. At 1-0, that might have given us a bit of belief. I didn't see it, but the players said he put two hands in the air and the ball hit them. The shot was certainly going in. It was a strong claim from our players."

New Pilgrim Paul Anderson certainly had a baptism of fire as far as away trips go and said of the venture: "It's incredible, that journey. We obviously had to do it yesterday, it's a long old way. You have to take your hat off to Argyle fans, they have to do it most weeks. To do that sort of distance, it's not cheap. It's a long way, you're probably going to have to stay overnight to get here in time. If not, it's a very early start. All the lads in there know that, and that's why we're probably a little bit disappointed that we didn't put a little bit more on for them. Even at the end, they were singing loudly. They were brilliant. I think, in football, you always get an opportunity the next week to try and correct it. We've got Luton next week, that's not going to be easy, they're a good footballing side but we have belief in that changing room that we're good enough to maybe be in a better position than we are. The run we've been on, prior to myself joining, and the Rochdale game, I think we showed how well we can actually play. We have to dust it down, there's nothing we can do about the result now. We have to focus on the Luton game and I'm sure the manager will have words through the week. We'll get ourselves as prepared as possible."

Of the game itself, Anderson added: We're a little bit disappointed in there. We could've maybe given ourselves a bit better of a chance. I think second-half we came out there, played some alright stuff, put it to them a little bit and if we'd have the rub of the green, at the right time, it would've been a completely different game. Unfortunately, the second goal at the end killed us.. With the hand-ball, perhaps it was a penalty, and, if it wasn't a hand-ball, it was probably going in from Gaz. Sometimes you get the rub of the green, and sometimes you don't. Unfortunately, I think it was a bit against us. It's always nice at whatever level you play at to play in nice stadiums, and big crowds. That's what we all want to do in our career. I've been very fortunate in my career to play in front of big crowds and I don't think it gets the better of you. I think that maybe, because of who they are and what they're doing, we gave them a little bit too much respect in the first-half, but I thought we gave a great account of ourselves in the second-half."

2nd

Argyle have lost 2-0 to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in a game that never really got going for the pilgrims. A goal either side of half time secured Argyle's fate. Argyle: Letheren(Macey), Smith-Brown, Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer, Fox, Songo'o, Threlkeld(Taylor), Lameiras(Anderson), Carey, Ladapo. Subs: Jones, Riley, Wootton, Ness.

1st

Gary Sawyer prepared for another long trip on the road as Argyle prepared to face Sunderland but spoke of how the advances in technology make such trips a lot more bearable than they used to be. Sawyer said: "They all are [long trips. The first one or two games of the season, I think the new boys realised just how far away Plymouth is from everything, but now it's part and parcel. I'm certainly used to it - we were at Bradford the other week, it's an hour or so past that."

"The bus is quite enjoyable, we've got a good group of lads, and I think the boys actually quite look forward to away games. We play cards quite a bit. Obviously you have to stop on the way up, so we usually play for who is buying the coffees. That gets us a couple hours up the road. We're lucky in this day and age, you've got iPads, so you can download films to watch. I think the last time we went up to Sunderland, in 2006, you probably had those portable DVD players, times have changed a bit because you'd need bags full of DVDs. We don't have the television blaring out the top of the bus, anymore, usually everyone has their own thing."

"I know the journey's long, but hopefully this one will be a nice one for the fans because they get to go to a stadium that probably shouldn't really be in this league. For any of them that haven't gone when we were in the league with them before, it's a great opportunity, particularly for the younger fans. Hopefully, our travelling 1500 will give them a run for their money, which I'm sure they will, as they're great when they travel."

Sawyer added that he hopes Argyle can take the confidence from the Rochdale win into the game, adding: "The whole season can swing with confidence. We weren't overly confident in the early games, through this and that, and that's what happens in football. Unfortunately, we dropped to the bottom of the league. It's great to see the boys are confident with a bit of a spring in their step. It's been really good form from us recently, and we needed it. There isn't any blueprint for it, if there was, we'd have done it from the first game. It's just clicked at the right time, really, and the boys are in good spirits, good form, and looking forward to each game."

"It was one of the most comfortable, the boys put them to the sword a little bit. It could've been more, had we taken our chances in the first-half. It was a great performance, gets us another three points. It's nice when you can score five goals, that's big at this level."

Derek Adams, meanwhile, played down the match as just another Saturday. He said: "The fans are obviously looking forward to going to the Stadium of Light and seeing their team play. There is a factor in that they haven't been up there for a number of years and want to go and witness Plymouth Argyle playing at a different venue. We always enjoy trying to break records and we have done it many times in the past. We will look to try and do that on Saturday. It's another opportunity for us to try and get three points. Going away from home, we have obviously done well and picked up some good points against Bradford and Peterborough. With the form that we are on, we are looking forward to going there and playing, and trying to get another result. I'm not going to dwell too much on Sunderland. It's important that we look at how well we've played in recent times. We are one of the form sides in the league and I think that is testament to the players and how well they have responded. The amount of opportunities that we have created in games, like last week against Rochdale where we won 5-1, we have got the confidence that we can go and score goals.

"We have shown this season that we can go away from home at the likes of Peterborough, in the top six, and beat them. It is going to be important that we go there with the confidence we are showing at the moment and take the game to Sunderland. We will just leave earlier than we usually do and will go for a walk when we arrive in Sunderland, whatever time that may be. We will treat it as we usually do for an away game, we have obviously not been able to train on the Friday because of the eight or nine-hour coach trip."

28th February

Derek Adams confirmed that Freddie Ladapo is an injury doubt ahead of Argyle's trip to Sunderland on Saturday. The manager explained: "We have got a doubt over Freddie Ladapo. He has got a thigh injury and hasn't trained Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We obviously have to assess it before Saturday's game. He is one of the top goal-scorers in the division and everyone would like to play at the Stadium of Light and show their talents, but we will see if he is able to come through the slight injury that he has."

"Ryan Taylor was one of our best performers last season, so we have got good competition for places and he would come in and replace Freddie if he is out. Jamie Ness and Conor Grant played 45 minutes and have been training for a few days, so it has allowed them to get some game-time and some training time. They will continue to get some game-time. We have a game in the reserves at the weekend and then we've got MK Dons on Tuesday night, there is an opportunity for them to play then."

Adams also admitted that a settled eleven was to thank for Argyle's good run of form but refused to be drawn as to who would replacer the suspended Antoni Sarcevic in the side. He said: "Anderson has fitted in well and was able to make his debut against Rochdale. He came down and worked hard in training, he has got a good pedigree, played in the Championship a good number of times and fits into our system of play, and is the type of player that we were looking for going into the window.

"It didn't do Oscar Threlkeld any harm, he got a goal and he was on for about 15 minutes. He has always enjoyed coming back here and has done well for me over the last three spells he has been here. It's the same for Lloyd Jones and Oscar Threlkeld. They have got good players in front of them and are pushing to get into the starting 11. It is an opportunity for them, they have got two games where Antoni is out, and they can stake a claim."

Of Argyle's big deal out at Sunderland, Gary Sawyer said: "As a player, having Sunderland in League One is great for every team. You can't hide that, when the fixtures come out, you look to see where they are and when you're going to play them. It's going to be great for the boys to go up and play there. We're on a good run at the minute and we want to continue that. Sunderland are the next ones in the way, so we will do everything we can to beat them. That's the key thing, we're not going to go up there and just accept trying to get a draw out of them. We'll try and beat them."

"I think you can't look past Sunderland, with the stature of the club, where it's been. It's nice to have them down in League One, to get a chance to play them, but I think Luton and Barnsley at the minute, Luton especially, merit where they are. Sunderland, being who they are, would expect to be well up there. I think it's a good time to play them. The pitch should be similar to ours, which I think will help us. In the situation we're in, I don't think we're fearing anyone. It's a massive game for us, we know how good a team and how good a club they are. I think we have to go up there to play. We're not built to go up there and not try and win the game of football, so we have to try and win."

27th

Argyle will be hosting the next Fans' Forum for the Green Army on Wednesday, March 20 in the Green Taverners Suite at Home Park. Chairman Simon Hallett will be in attendance, along with senior club officials, to answer questions on all things Argyle, including progress on the stadium redevelopment at Home Park. Doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start.

26th

New signing Paul Anderson is realistic about the fact that the chances of match action with Argyle may be limited with the likes of Graham Carey and Ruben Lameiras already at the club but he insists he will do what he can, when he can. The winger said: They are both very gifted players and will win a game for you. Every team needs those. From my point of view, I think I have to be realistic that I'm probably not quite match fit. I have to work as hard as I possibly can in training, and give everything I have got. At the minute, I'm probably there as support to the front three/four.Given an opportunity, I will give everything I have got. I'm here to get minutes for myself but also to help this team if they need me at any point to get to safety and, if more, then it's a bonus. I'm very fortunate. I'm small, slim and naturally fit. I never have to worry about being in the fat clubs that clubs have. I don't have to worry about my weight or anything like that. You put runs on and I will be just as fit as the other ones, but match sharpness is slightly different. Again, whatever minutes I'm given, whether it's reserve games or other ones, that's going to get me there. If you put me on the pitch I would give you a good 70 minutes now, and managers look at potentially changing it at that stage anyway. After one or two games, I will be right up there. It's just getting back into the normal routine of actually playing games."

"I think a 4-3-3 actually suits me really well, as one of the three up top. Left of the three is where I feel most comfortable, even though I'm right-footed. I prefer it that side, both going inside and out. But also on the right, I believe I have got good delivery. I can put in quite clever little crosses. I'm a hard-working player. That's what I have based my career on. I have worked extremely hard. I have played for defensive managers who have wanted me to do the nitty, gritty side of it. I'm more than happy to do that as well when the times get tough in certain games. I still believe, if I had a really good pre-season under my belt and was given game opportunity, that I have the ability to play in the Championship. That is where my aim is to be. I know it's not going to be easy because people look at 30-year-olds and think they are old, but I have still got plenty of years left."

"I'm here for two months. My contract will end in May. If I have done enough, I'm sure there will be a conversation maybe for something to go on next year. But, also, I have got to be realistic that I'm focusing on what I can do today and tomorrow. Again, I will give my absolute everything. If it's enough to warrant contract talks in the summer, brilliant. If it's not, I hope that I have helped the club in the short period of time. Then, from my point of view, I have got a few games under my belt and maybe other people will be watching and someone else will have a bit of an interest in me. To get the opportunity to come to the league above as well, you never know you might get minutes against Sunderland, or whoever. From my point of view, I do have to be selfish, and there are other players that are out of contract in the summer as well. They will be thinking exactly the same, that we all need a job. I will work hard to be given an opportunity to get as good a job as I can possibly get. If that was here, it would be amazing. I have been here a week. The weather has been beautiful. I'm not used to it! I have got to take it day by day and give everything I have got for the nine weeks now and hope that something good comes of it at the end of it."

25th

Derek Adams stated the importance of squad depth, after bringing on all three of his 2019 signings in the closing stages of Argyle's win against Rochdale: "Good finish from Oscar Threlkeld. He came on for the last five-minutes of the game. It gave him a bit of game-time. It was important to get the three of them back on the pitch. Lloyd Jones made his debut, we had Anderson and Oscar Threlkeld. I just gave them a run-out, we had obviously finished the game by that point, and it gives them an opportunity to play in front of the home fans and make their debuts. He gives us a different option. Joel Grant is obviously out, and he gives us that experience where he knows when to run forward, when to keep the ball. He's played at Championship level, so we're delighted to have him for the remainder of the season. At the start of the season, we were unfortunate with injuries, we didn't have a settled team, and we could've won games that we lost. Now we've got a consistency that we are playing to."

"He's obviously got booked for simulation, so he's going to miss the two games now .That's the way it is, somebody else gets the opportunity, and we move on. He's disappointed that he's going to miss two games, but coming off a fabulous victory, 5-1, he's delighted for his teammates. We've got two big games, we'll obviously miss him for those games, but we've got a good squad now that is looking forward to the final twelve games of the season."

24th

Oscar Threlkeld dedicated his goal against Rochdale to the green army after waiting a long time for his return to the side. He said of the wait: "It's another debut for me and obviously a great reaction from the supporters, it felt like I had never been away. It does feel great, the fans have stuck by me even though I went away and came back, that goal was my gift to them. I'm old enough to know about being patient in football, me and the gaffer have a great relationship, if I need to talk to him I'll go and speak to him, and vice versa. Once I get on the pitch, I just have to give it my all. I did that away at Bradford and here today, so it's going to give him a headache. I just have to work hard. It was great to get on and get some minutes. Obviously, it has been a long time coming, I couldn't get in the team because they've been playing so well and winning games, so I had to wait my turn."

Threlkeld also spoke about the possibility of playing in the game at Sunderland due to Antoni Sarcevic's absence having incurred a two match ban for ten yellow cards, adding: "Rochdale are that sort of team where they look for our mistakes and play on the counter. Eddy made a mistake but he will get over it, and he scored to get everyone back on his side. I have to knuckle down in training again and say in my own head that I am playing at Sunderland. If I'm not, then that's totally up to the gaffer but it showed against Rochdale that I am ready to play. In training, everyone has to be on it to give the gaffer a headache. Once we do that in training through the week, then its up to the gaffer to make a decision. I'm sure whoever he puts in on Saturday will do a job for us. It's a possibility that I could play. I'm a versatile player and happy to play wherever, as long as I'm on the pitch."

Derek Adams expressed his delight at the dominance of the performance that saw Argyle emerge 5-1 victors. He praised the strength of his players: "The team are in fantastic form, and if you look over the years, there'll not be too many more teams that play with the excitement and technical ability that this team can. We are good going forward, we probably weren't clinical enough in the first-half, but we certainly were in the second. It was a very big win for us today, to win 5-1, we probably could have scored a lot more in the first half. We had a lot of opportunities on goal, and we were really unfortunate just to go in at 1-0 at half-time. We got the advantage in the second-half and scored the goals."

"It was a straight red card. Freddie Ladapo was right through on goal, and Ebanks-Landell flicks the ball away. We dominated possession in the first-half. The amount of opportunities we had in the 18-yard-box, the goalkeeper's had a very good game for them. Straight after half-time, we've given away a sloppy goal, Ryan Edwards' pass-back, and they've got a lift from that, but they get a player sent-off and we go on and score a further four goals."

"We were on the front-foot, we played in a way that we were always going to score goals, it was just a matter of time, and how many we were going to get today. We go to Sunderland in good form. We've sold over 1,300 tickets already, before we even get to Monday, so it's a terrific following we'll take there. They're a good side, they are the heavyweights in the division, and we've got nothing to lose. It's great, and we should really take all the staff up there and show them what this football club should aspire to. A lot of learning would be involved if that were to happen. We've got a long way to go, inside this football club, to even get out of League One. You can always aspire to do that, but you need to learn from other people as well. It's a game of football that we'll go and enjoy. We'll leave on Friday morning, travel up on the bus, play the game, and hopefully come away with a victory and move on to the next game."

Adams reserved special praise for striker Freddie Ladapo who grabbed a brace in the game: "He's one of the best strikers in the division, and I think that his goal record shows that Delighted for Freddie, his first one was outstanding, he took it with his right foot, he swiveled and hit it into the top corner. His second one as well, he runs away, which he does quite a bit, and was composed with the finish."

"We rely heavily on Freddie Ladapo to score goals as well, but to get different goal-scorers in the team is important, and the goal difference has certainly helped us because it's put us in a much better position. It was a terrific finish, to curl it in with his right-foot, into the far top corner. Oscar's was a good one as well because it got cut back. Edwards gets a goal as well, to make it 2-1. I think it was great for the team that were here , from the 1970s, to see the outstanding play that gets fans off their seats."

23rd

Argyle's good run of form has continued in style with an impressive 5-1 win over Peterborough. Argyle dominated the first half and went in one goal up thanks to a Freddie Ladapo strike. A slip-up from Ryan Edwards let Rochdale back into the game at 1-1 but the visitors were soon reduced to ten men for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Four Argyle goals followed including one off the bench from Oscar Threlkeld on his return to Home Park. Edwards also made amends with a goal, Ladapo bagged a brace and there was a first home goal for Ashley Smith-Brown. Argyle: Letheren, Smith-Brown, Edwards, Canavan(Jones), Sawyer, Songo'o, Fox(Threlkeld), Carey(Anderson), Sarcevic, Lameiras, Ladapo. Subs: Macey, Riley, Wootton, Taylor.

22nd

Winger and former trialist Paul Anderson has joined Argyle on a temporary contract until the end of the season. The Liverpool youth graduate has been recently released by Mansfield after spells with Hull, Bristol City and Ipswich. The 30 year old can play on either flank.

Anderson spoke of new beginnings and the hope he can rediscover his best form at Home Park: "It's been the whole of this season really without getting to be a part of a first-team game. For me, that's been difficult, because for the most of my career I've been in and around the first-team. That atmosphere, walking out in front of the fans, I've really missed it. Hopefully, I can just get back playing, get the minutes I want and whatever I can help Plymouth with, I'll do my best. I thought I did relatively well in the first-half in the central league game. Second-half, I found it quite a scrappy game, it was difficult for anyone to impress, really. I felt relatively sharp considering I haven't played that many games this season. I'll bring the odd bit of creativity here and there, but for me, at this moment in time, I'm just desperate to get in with the lads, get as fit as possible, and whatever time and minutes I'm given, I'll give everything I've got."

Ashley Smith-Brown looked ahead to the game against Rochdale in the hope that better conditions would bring success for the greens after the hailstorm in the away game at Spotland. Smith-Brown said: "It was a tough game away from home. I remember the weather wasn't great. Hopefully, we can get all three points. I think we've played much better at home, due to the fans and the atmosphere they create. I feel like if we can keep a clean sheet round to the 60 or 70th minute mark, then I think we're fitter than most teams. I feel like we've got a good leg to stand on and a good chance to win the game."

"I've never had any problems here, even when the weather's been in raining and hailstorm, the pitch has always been in top condition, so that's merit to the ground-staff. I always enjoy playing on it. You don't want to say it's an excuse for playing better football because, at the end of the day, both teams are playing on the same pitch, but every footballer loves playing on carpet."

Derek Adams previewed the weekend's game too, saying: "They had a game against Wimbledon, where it was end-to-end and finished 4-3," said Derek. "They are putting themselves under pressure and they have not been able to get the results that they want. That happens at some stages in the season, but we have to continue the run that we are on. It doesn't help us, it doesn't hinder us, it's a difficult one sometimes. They were at home, so they haven't had much travelling to do. We have had the chance to have a few days off to recover. We want to try and increase the gap between us and Rochdale, we want to go and win the match, catch the teams above us and open up the gap between us. At Bradford last week, we had to settle for a point because it was a tense game at times and that's what happens at this stage in the season. I think Keith Hill will enjoy coming back, he always does, he had some good times here as a player and when you do come back to your old team, you look to see the friends you had here before and enjoy managing against them,

21st

Ashley Smith-Brown has spoken of his ease and comfort with the subject of changing flanks, having spent most of 2019 so far playing at right-back. The youngster was a left-back for most of the first part of the season. He detailed: "I don't mind either, I feel comfortable playing on both sides. As long as I'm out on the pitch, that's all that matters, really. It was a difficult start for most of us, really, because of the results. I feel like now I'm starting to slowly get a bit more consistency, and that's what I want really – to get a good run of games and to finish the season strong. I have played right-back before. I played there at City, in the reserves, and played there for England as well, so I didn't feel uncomfortable in the change to right-back."

"There's loads of right-backs, and there's competition all over the place. You've always got to be at it in training. You have to play your own game, you can't go into the game being hesitant. That's when you might get a yellow card, if you start playing like that. I have to be careful for the next four games, or it's a two-match ban. Hopefully I don't get a yellow card, let's put it that way but you never know what's going happen in a game, so I just have to be careful. Hopefully, I just win the ball every time I go for a tackle."

Smith-Brown added that he has no regrets about swapping the Premier League club for the rough and tumble of League One: "It's a bit far from home," said Ash, "but it's something that I've done before and it's nothing I'm not used to. I'm enjoying my time here, and I'm enjoying the football as well. There's probably a bit more demand to win here. Obviously, the results mean a bit more to people - we're in a league - and in reserve football there's not much to play for at times. I'd probably say it's a bit more physical; you have to be strong in the tackle, that's probably the biggest difference. I've probably changed my play through experience. It's just the little things you have to cut out, like concentration; you have to be on it for the whole 90 minutes, and just probably communicate a bit more."

"Even if's miles away, the supporters still come out in their numbers. They always know how to encourage and spur us on, so they're a good bunch of fans. It's a big part of me coming here – I knew what the fanbase and the support was like."

Derek Adams had a revelation of his own to make- that a trialist is currently bidding for a contract at Home Park and played in the central league game in midweek. Adams said: "We had a trialist in the central league game. We are obviously looking for a player in the forward area. We had a look at him in training, we had a look at him in the game, he has got a very good pedigree. Joel Grant will be out probably until the end of the season, so we are looking for someone in that area. We need to add strength in depth in that area. We haven't made a decision but we will wait until tomorrow to see if it goes the right way or the wrong way. If Joel was fit, we wouldn't have had to make another signing because he has done really well for us this season.

"We are judging the trialist's fitness, his technical ability, he is not right up to speed but we are looking at how quickly we can get him up to speed. That was the same with Oscar Threlkeld and Lloyd Jones, we are trying to get them as up to speed as quickly as possible, but we do need competition in the squad from now until the end of the season."

19th

Argyle have announced that Paul Berne has joined the club Board of Directors.44 year old Berne is the Finance and Operations Director with Argyle's main sponsors Ginsters, as well as being a Director for Argyle Community Trust. Simon Hallett said: "On behalf of the Board, and all Pilgrims, I am delighted to welcome Paul as a Plymouth Argyle Director. He is already well known in and around the club and brings with him a wealth of experience and enthusiasm that will be invaluable."

In a separate development, Jo Cubbon has tendered her resignation from the Argyle Board, citing her other commitments as rendering her unable to give as much time to her role of director as she felt it deserved. Hallett added: "We understand Jo's reasons for standing down and thank her for her contribution to the Board. We wish her well for the future."

18th

Kyle Letheren has said that after waiting so long to claim the number one jersey at Argyle, he has no plans to relinquish it any time soon. Letheren stated his intentions: "That's the plan. Matt is on fire in training every day and I have to be, too. While results are as they are, it's my jersey to lose. I'm fit and ready to go, just embracing it, loving it. You can tell, in training, that everyone wants to play and they have got to bide their time. When the team is doing as well as we are at the minute, it is tough for the boys on the bench. I have been there. I have been there a lot in my career. You have to keep mentally tough and believe in your ability. We have a great bench now and we will need everyone from now until the end of the season. Oscar Threlkeld came on at Bradford and slotted in at right-back like he had never been away. That was nice to see."

Of the Bradford game, Letheren added: "In the first half, there was nothing much in the game; G hit the post and we had a few good opportunities in and around the box. In the second half, we soaked up a lot of pressure, which you are going to do when you go away from home – you are going to be under pressure at some point in the game. I thought we dealt with it well. At the end of the day, it's a good point. When we keep it tight at the back, we always have a chance going forward with the players that we have at the top of the park. A clean sheet and a point; we'll take that and move on."

"I think we have always been able to take anybody on. Earlier in the season, we were lacking a bit of confidence which showed in results, but we played Pompey last week and matched them, and could have won the game in the end. It was a good point, especially after they went 1-0 up. We have shown, in the last 10 games, that we can go foot to foot with anyone and we have the players to score goals. If we keep it tight at the back, which we have been doing – we can't rest on our laurels, but we'll keep climbing that league. We just have to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the league and carry on going. There is a long way to go in the season. Staying up is the main thing and we'll just take it from there."

17th

Derek Adams praised Argyle's battling performance in a 'stodgy' point away to Bradford after a 0-0 draw in which Argyle kept clear distance between ourselves and the relegation zone. He said: "If you had offered me a point before the game, I'd have taken it. It's a very good point for us. I think we had the better of it in the first half, and Bradford had the better of the second half. It keeps the points difference between ourselves and Bradford the same, and it also allows us to keep our position in the league. It's been a good day. The surface was a real sticking point. Flair players – and most of the players on the pitch – found it difficult to pass the ball. That was probably the way the game was: it was very scrappy. The ball was getting knocked back and forth a good number of times. You don't see good play on a surface like that."

Adams also praised the fantastic defensive performances put in by his side including a great stop by Kyle Letheren and a superb block from Niall Canavan. Adams: "If, earlier on in the season, we did then what we did today, we would be in a far better position. We've come away to Bradford, we take a point and move on. Letheren was going backwards, and it was an important save at that moment in time, because Bradford were in the ascendancy. It was a good header at the back post and he was able to claw it away."

"We got caught at the back post and shouldn't have allowed them in there in the first instance," said Derek, "but Niall did really well to cover his team-mates and knock the ball away for a corner. We were just on top of the game; we had a good bit of pressure. Graham hit the post; we had another couple of good opportunities; and a goal chalked off for offside. First half was more us; second half was more Bradford."

Letheren himself embraced the game and said that he loves nothing more than to be busy. He explained: "There is nothing worse for me than being stood there with nothing to do, so I enjoy it," said Kyle. "I like making saves, like having things to do; that's why I'm a goalkeeper. You have to thrive on it – that's the way I take it. Everyone is different. I think I made them look a lot better than what they actually should have been. Doyle's headed it and I've slipped straight away, so I've had to dive from a low position. It was a bit of a camera save but I'll take it – a save is a save. It doesn't matter how you keep it out the net – as long as you do keep it out the net, that's the main thing. The other save – the boy just got a cheeky flick and I've managed to be in the right place at the right time and defend half a goal because, when shots are flashed across you, you have to basically give up the far post and defend that area.

"That's what I've been taught and I've managed to be in the right place at the right time. The guy told me he didn't expect me to be in his face so quick, so decided to square it instead of shooting because I was there and covering the goal. That is pleasing, from an opponent's point of view, but Naz helped me out. He didn't give up on it. Some centre-halves would have conceded it, but he never gave up on me. I think that's a trait that I've got in my two centre-halves and they've got in me, as well. I managed to get myself in the team last year and I got a nasty quad injury that Joel Grant now has. He keeps asking me what it's like, but that's another story. It was disappointing to get injured when I did because I thought I hit a bit of form straight away when I came in. I take it as each day and each game comes, and just embrace it and show people what I can do, because I have been written off many times in my career. That is part and parcel of it, but, when people write me off, I just keep coming back stronger. I'm just embracing and enjoying it; if you don't enjoy playing, then there's something wrong."

16th

Argyle racked up their second consecutive draw with a 0-0 stalemate at Valley Parade. The hosts had a flurry of chances towards the end but no goals were to be seen in the match. Argyle: Letheren, Smith-Brown(Threlkeld), Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer, Fox, Songo'o, Sarcevic, Lameiras(Taylor), Carey, Ladapo. Subs: Macey, Jones, Riley, Wootton, Jephcott.

15th

Derek Adams revealed his plan to silence the crowd early ahead of the upcoming away fixture at Bradford. Adams spoke of the uniqueness of their ground, saying: "When you go there, you have try and silence the crowd. You have to play on the front foot and try to get that first goal, which is going to be advantageous to you. We've done well there in the past, we have won there, which was a really good experience, but it's a lovely venue to go and play at. The pitch is not in the best condition at this moment in time, just probably because of the structure of the building. Atmosphere-wise, they obviously sell a good number of season tickets before the start of the season. They've got a stadium that's 30,000 plus, with probably roughly 18,000 in it. Bury and MK Dons went down last year. This league never surprises anyone because if you can put a run together, you'll be at the top end, and if you put a bad run together, you'll be at the bottom end. Everybody's where they are at this moment in time with fourteen games to go. Bradford have got themselves into a situation where they had gotten out of the bottom zone, but dropped back in. They've done really well at home in recent times, so we've got to be at the top of our game. We've had a very good spell where we've been on the front foot and caused teams problems, and we're going to have to do exactly the same to Bradford. They lost last week against Fleetwood at home, and we'll probably have to do the same as Fleetwood did."

14th

Derek Adams has revealed that Joe Mason will not be returning to his home-town club. Despite Adams' best attempts to lure the forward back to Home Park, Mason's agent has informed the club he'll be pursing options elsewhere. Joe won't be coming here," said Derek. "He has offers from other clubs in our division and the division below. We've obviously put an offer to him, but it's not going to happen for us. His agent has spoken to me and said that he's got very good offers, other than here, so we're not going to be able to do a deal there."

"It's not disappointing, it's just we've obviously tried to sign him and take him in, but we're never disappointed because we always just move on.

"We've got good cover in all areas, we are lacking probably one more player to come into the squad, but that would give us enough towards the end of the season. We're looking for somebody just to give us added depth in that area, we're probably one player short at this moment in time. If we are to get them, then we'll get them. We have Joel Grant out injured, and that's affected us a wee bit. We didn't think that he was going to be out towards the end of the season, but he's had to go for an operation.

"He was obviously out for a month, tried to come back and it didn't work. He got the muscle operation where they fix it back on to the tendon, and now he's at home for this moment in time. He can't do anything for a couple of weeks, he's on crutches, and then he'll come back in to try to get fit. It was a straight-forward operation, but the problem is the length of the rehabilitation. It was similar to the Kyle Letheren operation last season and it was the same surgeon who operated on them both."

11th

Derek Adams spoke of the positive mentality around Home Park at the moment following Argyle's encouraging recent run of form. Adams: "We're trying to close the gap between ourselves and the top. We're a football club that looks forward, not a football club that looks down. The positive mentality is always involved in my managership at this football club; that's why we've had success at this football club. I'm a positive manager, not a negative manager, and look to do things on a yearly basis under the financial constraints at this football club. You've seen Portsmouth leave Vaughan on the bench, and don't even have Pitman in the 18. What a squad they have. We've always shown very good character throughout the season, and today was no different. You take Portsmouth, who are at the top of the table for a reason, they are a very accomplished football side. We had to be at it and stop them playing at times. We did that, we had 60-odd per cent possession of the game, which is not one of the things that you usually get against a Portsmouth team We took three points last week against a top-six team in Peterborough and we've taken one away from Portsmouth. They're all important games at this stage of the season. We've moved ourselves up another position in the table, to 15th, which is keeping us going in the right direction and all the rest of the results have gone with us."

Adams also offered words of encouragement to Graham Carey following his excellent goal and performance in the draw against Portsmouth, coming as it did in a slightly quieter season: "We got a free-kick on the edge of the area. Graham Carey, it was a magnificent strike from him to put it into the top corner. There's nothing the goalkeeper can do about it. It goes over the wall and the pace that was on the ball, it was always going to cause him a problem. You saw, after he scored the goal, the confidence he had after that."

"He had a bit of outrageous skill on the by-line to flick it around the defender and get it the other side. When you're in confident mood you try things that sometimes you wouldn't do. He's been the talisman for the number of seasons since I've been at the football club. Other people take over that mantle but Graham will get back to doing that. He's scored his first goal against Portsmouth on a very special occasion because it was a full-capacity crowd here. We've sent the home supporters away happy because they've seen a team with a bit of excitement, a bit of creativity, wanting to go on and win the match against a team at the top of the table."

10th

Derek Adams spoke positively of Argyle's performance in their 1-1 draw with Pompey and explained the reversal to their typical 4-2-3-1 formation after the experiment with a diamond 4-4-2 at Peterborough. Adams said: "We felt that we were one or two passes away from getting into a good area, and we just had to get in behind their midfield. Ben Close was sitting deeper of the two in the midfield and was blocking a lot in to our striker, and our number 10 has had to come in off the side and get it and go wide. We were trying to get the space between midfield and defence to become bigger. That did happen as the game went on, but in the early stages of the game the two central midfielders from Portsmouth didn't push on to Fox or Songo'o; which enabled them to have a lot of the ball, but we couldn't find the striker. As the game went on, they started to come out of their pocket, so to speak, which allowed us to play in a better fashion."

"We couldn't go with a diamond against Portsmouth. They've got full-backs that get forward and wide players that are very dangerous. I don't think it would be the brightest idea to go with a diamond against them. We moved the ball quicker, the game then became more open and, when that happened, we were able to find our space and find the passes easier. We did get ourselves in the penalty box. I would say that Portsmouth defended very well in the later stages of the game, where they had a lot of players in the 18-yard box. They got a nick on the ball, a block, we got corner kicks from it, but they are where they are for a reason."

Adams went on to express his disappointment at receiving a yellow card in the game following an incident where a Portsmouth player appeared to kick the ball away following a foul awarded against him. Adams said: "Gareth Evans kicked the ball away after he was booked and he's launched it 50 yards out of play. The referee has not booked him. He should have been sent off from that, but he chose to give me a yellow card because I protested that he had kicked the ball away after he had blown the whistle. The referee said to me that Evans kicked the ball as the whistle went. I'll have to look at that on the video and slow it down. If that's the case, then I'll apologise to the referee. If it's not the case, I expect the referee to apologise to me."

Adams went on to reveal that Argyle had set a deadline for Joe Mason to accept or decline the offer of a contract, wanting an answer by the end of the weekend. Argyle's manager said: "Discussions just now are between myself and the agent. We'll obviously need to speak to Joe and see if he wants to come to the football club. We're not going to hang about, we move on. We'd obviously like him to come to the football club."

Graham Carey stated his relief at getting a goal after a long barren spell to cap a good performance in the game against Portsmouth, saying: "I was relieved, more than anything. What has it been? Twenty-four games since his last goal? I felt comfortable, standing over the free-kick, the wind helped; I knew I just had to get it on target and the wind would add a lot of pace to the ball. I felt like I owed the team a goal, so it was nice to see it go in. I think they were quite clever to switch and go with the wind in the first half. The wind was quite strong. We wanted to win the game, but circumstances changed in the game. When we went 1-0 down, we didn't change our mind-set and I felt we could have went on and won the game. We are on a good run at the minute and that keeps the momentum going. I think it's the way we have played in those games – we looked comfortable, been on the front foot in large parts of those games. Four points out of six against two teams that are up there is a good week's work."

9th

Argyle have drawn 1-1 with Portsmouth in the dockyard derby at Home Park thanks to a piece of magic from Graham Carey. Portsmouth opened the scoring but Carey broke his months-long goal duck with a stunning free-kick that ensured the spoils were shared. Argyle: Letheren, Smith-Brown, Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer, Songo'o, Fox, Carey, Sarcevic, Lameiras, Ladapo.

8th

Ahead of Argyle's dockyard derby with Portsmouth, Derek Adams stated the vital role of finances in differentiating the respective positions of the clubs. He explained: "They spent well in the transfer market. They spent a lot of money transferring players into the football club, that's why they are in the position they are at this moment in time. That has come at a cost, they have taken in Vaughan and Bogle, they had Mason on loan from Wolves on big money, that shows you the financial clout that a team like Portsmouth have."

"Fans are the same as managers, we all want to bring success. The supporter has to understand that, financially, it has to be right for the football club. Some supporters don't understand the financial restrictions we have at this football club but the supporters you are talking about are only a handful. The vast majority understand the football club. It is where we are as a football club. Finance is vital and they [Portsmouth] have been able to recruit some big names. That's why the top six are the top six at this moment in time. If you look throughout the league, I don't think there are many teams that have spent less in the transfer market than we have over the last three years."

Incidentally, Argyle's game against Portsmouth will be the 200th that Derek Adams has managed for the club. Adams said of marking a milestone against such a regular opponent: "I always enjoy these games because they are full houses. We beat them in the play-off semi-final here, they are always big games and we love playing against them. To manage this football club for 200 games has been really exciting, we have come a long way in that time. I have had a very good relationship with the chairmen. We try to look after the football club as best we can and move it in the right direction."

Meanwhile, Lloyd Jones admitted that a nudge in the right direction from former Argyle star Sonny Bradley was pivotal in his decision to return to his hometown side, saying: "I talked to him loads about Argyle. When it came about, I did have a word with him, and he said 'go and smash it, play how I know you can play.' Sonny has been unbelievable actually. I get on really well with him, he's the heart of the defence at the moment. If he's not playing, then I think the results may have been different for Luton."

"I know of him, I know players who've worked with him, and they've all given glowing reports on the gaffer. I was really keen to come here. I've been here three training days, so I'm still getting used to it, but there's 15 games left in the season and I just want to hit the ground running."

"I thought we were really good against Peterborough. Even when it was 11-men we looked comfortable, and it was a solid performance. The best result in football is a 1-0 away win. It's a winning team. It's not me that picks the team at the end of the day, but we're winning and getting points, getting further away from the relegation. Like I said, though, I came here to play and hopefully that'll shine through."

First-year professional Harry Hodges has seen his loan at Gloucester City extended until the end of the season, after having initially joined on a 30 day loan.

7th

Derek Adams confirmed on Thursday that the club have offered a deal to bring striker Joe Mason back to Home Park. He said of the academy graduate: "We have made an offer to take in Joe Mason. The offer is with him and his agent, so we will wait to see if that is acceptable. He has got vast experience of playing in the Championship. He has not had much game-time during his loan spell at Portsmouth but we will see where the negotiations go."

5th

Derek Adams and Ruben Lameiras have both been nominated for the player and manager of the month awards in January after a good month in which Argyle pulled themselves away from relegation trouble and Lameiras scored five goals in five appearances.

4th

Ruben Lameiras spoke of a buzz that comes from his current run of goalscoring form as well as detailing the dilemma faced by manager Derek Adams in keeping one of Ryan Taylor or Freddie Ladapo out of the side. The Portugese said: "You sort of know as soon as you've hit it that it's got a chance, and when you see it hit the net it's a great feeling. It came off Sarce's back-side, I think. When I'm in the box I just try to get it on my left foot and thankfully it went in. For me, it's just about playing games. I get more confident as I play more games, which I'm doing at the moment. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help the team. We keep picking up points, which is good. That's the main thing. I'm happy for Tayls, he's been training really well. There's a competition for places, it's healthy, and I'm just glad he got an opportunity to start the game. I'm happy to play anywhere", you know, when you've got quality like Tayls and Freddie Ladapo, it's hard to keep one of them out of the side."

3rd

Derek Adams felt vindicated in picking a diamond midfield to match Peterborough up following the victory at London Road. He spoke of his tactical decision: "We obviously matched their formation, we had a diamond midfield with two up top and we stopped them playing. From our point of view, it was good that we didn't allow them too many opportunities. It was their new manager's first game at home, and it was probably the story of the afternoon that we didn't allow them many opportunities, and we controlled possession once they had the sending off. We've played against Darren a good number of times now and won against him in different ways. Today, we went up against them, because we didn't want the home crowd to get excited, and we quietened them down and gave them a difficult 45 minutes. He had to go, the referee has no choice. It was petulant, and the correct decision was made. He'd already been booked, and he was probably lucky it wasn't a straight sending off at the time. The second half becomes one where we've had a lot of the ball and created a number of good opportunities but don't take them, until a fabulous bit of play from Ruben Lameiras. We didn't think they were going to sit in as much as they did after the red card. They played with three across the back, four in midfield and one up top. They just tried to stop us getting in behind. We used the width of the park well, we had a good number of crosses into the box but unfortunately they had a good number of bodies in the box. We knew we were 15 points off of Peterborough before the game, and now we're 12 points behind them,. We knew we could close the gap between ourselves and them, but we've also closed the gap between ourselves and the teams above. We've done our job today, we spoke about that before the game, and the players were reminded of that after the game."

Of the sending off decision that turned the game, Adams added: "He had already been booked. He was probably lucky it wasn't a straight sending-off. He goes off and the second half becomes a half where we have a lot of the ball, and create a number of good opportunities, but don't take them until a fabulous bit of play from Ruben Lameiras. He had to go. There was no choice. He had another incident in the first half that he took Graham Carey out the game. "It was petulant and the correct decision was made. We had a lot of opportunities across the face of the goal. We put a number wide. They defended exceptionally well. They had nine behind the ball with Toney up front and tried to defend deep and not leave too much space. That is always difficult to break down. We probably had 70 per cent of the ball in the second half and we eventually score with a magnificent goal. It's a clean sheet for us and another three points."

Goalscoring hero Ruben Lameiras said of the game: "I haven't looked at the table, no-one's talking about it. We're just taking every game as it comes, and if we keep picking up points, we'll slowly but surely climb up the table. As long as we can keep picking up points, that's the main thing. The fans have been great, I think they made more noise today than the home side. They always come in numbers, they always support the team, and I know it's a bit cliché but it's almost like we've got another body on the pitch. We just need to repay that with good performances, and, most importantly, points.

"We knew that we just had to stay in the game. They had a man sent off, we knew that they would try and make it hard for us, get one of us booked, and frustrate us. We just knew that we had to stay in the game, keep clear heads, and execute the game plan, which was to get the ball forward as quickly as we could, get our danger men on the ball and create chances. I don't think the gaffer would let complacency happen. We're back in training, they're hard, hard weeks, and we take no prisoners. We're still not happy with the position that we're in. We didn't really start off well and we're still paying the price for that. It's done, it is what it is, but I think now we just need to keep this train going. No-one lets anyone get away with not training as hard as we can. There's no letting up. It's working for us, so why would we stop?"

2nd

Argyle returned to winning ways with a thrilling late victory away to Peterborough. The hosts were reduced to ten men shortly before half-time when Lee Tomlin was sent off for the hosts following an altercation with Ryan Edwards. Argyle chipped away at the defence and it was eventually Ruben Lameiras who found the net with a curling shot to win the game. Argyle: Letheren, Smith-Brown(Riley), Edwards, Canavan, Sawyer, Fox, Sarcevic, Carey, Lameiras(Songo'o), Taylor(Jephcott), Ladapo. Subs: Macey, Jones, Wootton, Threlkeld.

1st

Upon his return to Home Park after many years of absence, defender Lloyd Jones hopes his next appearance on the Home Park turf is better than his first (on a brief appearance for the under-18 side). Jones said: "It was for the Under-18s. I came on as sub when I was about 14 for about 10 minutes. I had a shocker. I did train with the first-team a couple of times. I remember taking time off school when I was 14. I got kicked everywhere – and that is putting it politely – but I'm really looking forward to getting back there. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I'm home now. I'm just looking forward to getting started. I wanted to come here more than go on loan to any other club in League One. I've wanted to come here for a while and I'm glad it's finally happened. It's been long overdue. I was young and didn't really understand it at the time that much but every little helps. Everything I dreamed of, when I went to Liverpool, became reality. I didn't expect to do as well as I did at Liverpool, but that's the type of person I am – I just try to do as well as I can, given an opportunity. In the last couple of years, I think I have been quite unlucky with opportunities and thankfully the manager and the staff have brought me to Plymouth. I've had a couple of loan spells where I've had a few big injuries, so it was difficult to get games after that and Luton obviously are doing really well at the moment. I have been on the bench every game but you need to be playing, I'm still fairly young but I'm not a kid anymore, so I need to play and show what I can do. I like to think I'm aggressive, but composed on the ball. I've been taught quite well in my youth. I haven't played in a while but I don't think that matters. Composure and aggressiveness is what I'll try to bring. It is my home town, so it means a lot more. I always look at the results and they have done really well over the last four or five games. If we keep that run going, I'm sure we will be fine."

Derek Adams spoke of his anticipation for a game against new Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson, somebody who he counts as a close personal friend. He said:: "It's always nice to see Darren and Gavin Strachan. I played with Gavin at Motherwell, and they're nice people. They want to win football matches and they want to do well. He's looking well, he's lost a lot of weight, so he's obviously been looking after himself while he's been out. It was nice to go and witness both teams, as well, because we've got them coming up, and it gives you an idea of how they're playing. Formation-wise, both teams played in a similar manner. Peterborough played in a diamond formation, which Darren has always played in his time at Doncaster and Peterborough.

"Darren will obviously say that he's got a bit of work to do to get them to play the way he wants his teams to play. It was an entertaining game, 2-2. Peterborough came into it in the second half and got a point away from home, so they'll be happy with that as they didn't start the game very well. It's always a shock, but in football nowadays you look at certain situations and you realise that something's going to transpire at some point. They want to be back in the Championship, they spent a lot of money on players to try and do that, and they're outside of the top two at this moment in time. Their chairman has done exceptionally well for the football club, he's taken in over £20 million in transfer fees, and spent it on the team. They're looking to obviously be in the top two, I think that the chairman is looking at it that way. It's extremely tight at the top end of the table, there's a lot of good teams - six very good sides that are looking to get into the Championship. There's always the aspect that there is more pressure on them now,. They have changed manager, and that brings added pressure to the whole stadium and we've got to try and play on that. We want to continue the good form that we're on – I think we're the third best team in form over the last six games, and over the last ten games we're quite high up as well, so we want to continue that."

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