THE DAILY DIARY

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Greens on Screen's Daily Diary is a compilation of Argyle news, with help from these and other Argyle-related sites.

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

Thursday 31st March 2022

Steven Sessegnon impressed his versatility upon his manager, stating his availability to play on both sides as Argyle look ahead to April and the promotion run in. Sessegnon opined: "Since I've come in, I've tried to set high standards, and I think that's gone on and pushed other people to play hard. Along with other signings, they've only made the squad stronger, so people know they have to perform at a higher level. There's someone just as good to come in and replace them, so I think it's definitely made us play better. I don't really mind what side I play on. I know people would think because I'm right-footed, I prefer playing on the right, but I'm just as comfortable on the left. Of course, it's easier to go inside, but I'm just as comfortable to go on the outside too. They've got some very strong players, players of good ability. It will definitely be another hard game. I think it will be defined by small moments of quality, and hopefully, we're on that side of quality.

"The fact that every fan that comes to Home Park and watches Argyle week in, week out, you can see how much it matters, so that only helps. I've got a duty to turn up and every week and perform and show them that I'm willing to fight and go toe to toe, because the fans spend their hard-working money to come and watch us play every week, so it's only right."

30th

Director of Football Neil Dewsnip looked ahead to Argyle's final six games, keeping his eyes firmly on the prize regarding the number of points needed to see their way over the line. Dewsnip said: "Just how well have we done? We've done ever so well this season. Steven, the players and staff will obviously be looking at making the play offs but I can guarantee that won't be enough, we all want to go and win them. Steven Schumacher has grabbed those reins and done so, so well. He has taken what Ryan Lowe did before him and taken it further. With six games to go, everybody, myself included, has a view of how many points are needed. I would like to think that if we got another six points, that would definitely be enough, but in all honesty, I don't think anyone knows for sure. Football people are very cautious, the minute you start feeling you've nailed it, more often than not, you haven't. Morale is incredibly high and there is a belief that this can be done but that isn't over confidence. I think if you look back to last Saturday, off the back of what has been an unbelievable run, the result at Ipswich is that reminder that we haven't cracked it just yet."

"It shows how strong the teams at the top of the table are this year - nine teams will probably think they still have a chance. These are the games you want to play in, you want to coach, you want to watch, and I cannot wait. I know everyone is pulling in the right direction, has the same goal in mind and it is a fantastic place for Argyle to be in."

"The club has grown in so many different ways, the first team, staff, players and supporters are having a wonderful year and that just adds to the excitement. I think you have to find a little bit of resilience, as well, to be successful and you've seen that in this side. You have seen so much change with Keith Downing, Mark Hughes and Elliot Turner coming in during the season. Nick Fulton joined the club in the summer and of course Steven is a rookie manager, you cannot underestimate just how important it was to make sure this didn't affect the players. If the environment isn't right, and that is the staff yes, but also from the players, if that environment isn't right then we probably wouldn't find ourselves in the place we are now."

"What I do definitely know is that we need to, and will, have, a really strong performance against Oxford United on Saturday. It's not a surprise to me that we are well equipped to go toe to toe with the best in the division and its obvious the processes we've had all season appear to be working. I would hope that there won't be too many changes over the next six games, because we've been doing okay haven't we?"

27th

Despite the frustration of the final loss to Ipswich, Steven Schumacher reflected on a superb March that saw Argyle pick up 18 points out of a possible 21. Schumacher said of the run: "I felt Ipswich are a top side and coming into it, we felt it would be close, and it was. We didn't threaten their goal anywhere near enough. We competed, kept going all the way to the end, we just didn't show enough quality today in the big moments. I think you could see today that the last few games took its toll a bit and we probably lacked a little bit of energy. You could see that Ipswich had a week off, they had a little bit more in their legs and when we play these big teams, we need all of our players to be at the top of their game. We're still fourth in the league, we're still in an unbelievable position. "March was massive and to take 18 points from it is incredible.

"Hopefully it won't be too bad for either but we have to have them assessed in the week. Bolts got a kick to his ankle, so fingers crossed that's not that serious. Ryan Hardie, though, might be a little bit worse because he felt his thigh go when he was chasing a ball. It shows where we are at the moment, we're a little bit stretched. We tried to get a 15 year old out of school yesterday but Freddie Issaka had mock exams, so we couldn't do that. It shows the depth of the squad we have, and we've had that all the way throughout the season, we don't have the luxury of a big squad."

Mike Cooper echoed the words of his manager and looked ahead to the tricky last 6 games to come: "Coming away losing 1-0 today was disappointing, but I think on reflection, if you look at how the month has gone for us: 18 points out of 21, one goal against, it's not a bad month at all. This isn't an easy place to come, the atmosphere was rocking and even though we started well, we just couldn't get a foothold. It's disappointing to lose but we'll go again next week. Most people would say this is one of the most competitive League One seasons for some time, and I would agree with that. Heading into the last six, which are all tough games, anyone would have taken this points tally and we are quite happy at the minute. We just have to keep it up. It would have been nice to top the month off with a win but to have gone so long without conceding is nice. It's testament to the whole squad, the way we have applied ourselves and there is no doubt that will continue."

26th

On Paul Mariner day at Portman Road, it was the home side who came out victors. Ipswich finally ended Argyle's 6 game winning streak, defeating the greens by one goal to nil. The only goal of the match came with 8 minutes to go before half-time when a low cross was turned in by the hosts. The blow for Argyle was made worse, losing both James Bolton and Ryan Hardie to injuries in the match. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton (Crichlow), Gillesphey, Houghton (Broom), Edwards, Randell, Mayor, Sessegnon, Ennis, Hardie (Garrick). Subs: Burton, Scarr, Law, Lewis.

25th

Steven Schumacher praised the 'unbelievable achievement' of six clean sheets in a row as Argyle looked to make it a seventh ahead of the game away to Ipswich at Portman Road. Schumacher reflected: "I think everyone can be quite pleased with how March has gone so far, six wins, six clean sheets on the bounce is an unbelievable achievement. We knew we needed to pick up a lot of points, as many points as possible because the run-in is going to be hard. We're all excited with the games ahead now."

"Mike, he's kept six clean sheets in a row, in all of those games, he had to make a big save at a big time. The lads in front of him have to concentrate, they're having to work really hard. The information that they get given day in, day out from Keith, from Nance… it's relentless. The players are taking it all on board and I know that they'll be feeling the benefit of it. It will be a tough game. Ipswich has been flying since Kieran McKenna has gone in there. They're in good form and they've got some real good players in the squad.

"I think Kieran's done brilliantly, another young coach and I hear he's a top coach. They've got a system going that seems to suit them and as I said, they've got great players anyway. Kieran's gone in there, got them organised, got them playing good football. Hopefully it will be an exciting game for everybody to watch.

"We've got a medical team and a performance team that do their very, very best to get the players on the pitch every week. The lads, training-wise, we can't put too much through them physically, but we still have to go through the information because we have to be organised going into these big games. It's the best situation you want to be in, we want to embrace that."

24th

Joe Edwards looked ahead with excitement to the last 6 games of Argyle's season, starting with the upcoming trip to Ipswich this Saturday. Argyle's captain said: "This is the fun end of the season rather than the business end. To go into it, six wins out of six and not concede a goal is next level. We knew March was going to be a massive month and we knew we had to do well to give ourselves the best opportunity. I've loved every minute of it. I love it. The boys are fantastic, and I love working with them. It's not just being a captain of this team; it's just being captain of this club which I love. It's a special place to be when you're doing well. Even if you aren't doing well, the fans are still backing you. They deserve it. Ever since I've come down here and played, it's always been a great place and you don't realise it until you join the club and to get the opportunity to be captain is a dream come true. There's still a long way to go and still stuff I want to achieve and if I can do that being captain, that's even better for me. I'd be lying if I said I haven't dreamt of lifting a trophy and doing it as part of this club. But the bigger picture is there, we've got to focus on the smaller bits otherwise we'll never get there. It's a great time to be excited but we know there's a lot of hard work to do first and we've got to concentrate on that and make sure we get to where we want to be."

"They're a massive club with some great players and it's a fantastic stadium, so it's another great occasion to be a part of. We've got to know our jobs and responsibilities and make sure we carry on with what we're doing and not coming away from the basics of what has got us to where we are now. We know it's going to be tough, but they're in for a tough game as well."

23rd

Argyle made history last night, recording 6 wins in a row with a clean sheet for the first time in their history. Steven Schumacher reflected on the achievement with immense pride, saying: "I am super proud of them. Another one down, six on the spin, another clean sheet – incredible. The effort that the lads are putting is outstanding and I hope they enjoy the moment and keep rolling on."

"Six wins on the spin keeping clean sheets has never been done before at Argyle has it? So, the lads are history makers really. We have to keep going and doing the basics, stick together as a group and if we do that, this team can go far. It was a really tough game today and Cheltenham caused us some problems. They were organised and worked hard and Alfie May has been in unbelievable form of late and Matty Blair was outstanding as well. I thought it was a decent game of football and I am delighted to come out on the right end of it. Both goals were superb. Danny has a goal and an assist and has continued his unbelievable form. He's been brilliant, and we need him to continue with this form and score more goals like that because he is so good. The defensive unit have had loads of praise over the last few weeks. Our lads had to defend well, and Michael Cooper made an unbelievable save in the first half, but sometimes you need that. Teams are going to come here and try and score a goal, but we've kept another clean sheet, so I am super happy. It's a brilliant time to be hitting form and we said in February that March was going to be crucial. We have had five home fixtures and so far, so good. We have another brilliant game to look forward to at Portman Road against Ipswich on Saturday and we're going to need all the players to put in this effort again in that game."

Danny Mayor spoke about his wonderful goal with humility, admitting he surprised himself as much as anyone else. He went on to look forward to the run in to come, focusing first on the visit to Ipswich on Saturday. He said: "It was alright, wasn't it. I had no idea it was going in to be honest, I was as shocked as everyone else when it did. Michael Duff's teams are always good, they always give it a go, they always try and play the right way, so we knew it was going to be tough. I think both goals came at a good time because they started well and it was hard to find space. At this stage of the season it's not always about playing well, it's about winning and that's what we're doing. We did it on Saturday - we weren't great but won 4-0. We were fantastic tonight and won 2-0 so it's all good. Six clean sheets, six wins and we're going in the right direction. We could win 1-0 for the next seven games and play terribly and I think everyone in the stadium would be buzzing. I think we've played well at times and not got the results we deserved, Rotherham comes to mind, when we dominated and never got the goal. In the last two games I'd say were more clinical than what we've been a couple of weeks before that. I've never had six clean sheets on the bounce. Willo, Bolts, Macca and Coops don't always get the credit because Ryan Hardie's scored 19 goals, but they've been fantastic all season and it's a credit to them, and the team and the way the Gaffer's set us up. We look solid and we always look like we can score as well."

"It's great, we'll enjoy it and then we'll come in on Thursday and get ready for Ipswich. I don't think there is pressure because, I think we've said it all season, everyone just expects us to drop off and we've been there all season, we're not going to drop off. Seven cup finals and hopefully we can be in and around it at the end."

22nd

Argyle made it a truly staggering 6 wins in a row with a clean sheet, with their 2-0 victory in the re-arranged game against Cheltenham Town. Both the goals came in the first half, Niall Ennis opening the scoring with an excellent finish on his return to the starting eleven. Danny Mayor doubled the lead with a goal of the season contender from outside the penalty area. 15 year old Freddie Issaka made the Argyle bench for the first time in a league match. Argyle saw out the second half nicely and opened up an 8 point gap on 7th place. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards (Sessegnon), Broom, Mayor (Randell), Grant, Ennis (Garrick), Hardie. Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Law, Issaka.

Argyle's fixture at home to Sunderland on Easter Monday has been selected for Sky TV broadcasting. The game will remain at its previous time and date, Monday 18th April at 3pm.

20th

Niall Ennis declared his joy at being back amongst the goals following his excellent cameo off the bench against Accrington. The striker said: "We said, as a team, we didn't even feel like we played to our best, so that shows where we're trying to get to. Winning 4-0 at home and still wanting more; that shows that we have high standards. It shows that the mentality in this team is just 'keep going', even when it's a tough game. Teams know what we can do now so they're always going to try and find a blueprint to beat us, but it's just about having that patience to just find a way. We've had a few 1-0 wins in the past few games so it's good for the fans that there were a few goals today. As I was coming on, Keith was saying 'just add some energy' because the game was fading away, so I just needed to inject some energy into the team. I thought I did that and thought I took my goal well. I knew I hit it well, and if you get it on target, the rest is history. I'm happy with the goal and I'm happy I came on and did what I was asked to do."

"People say defence wins your leagues and get you going places, so they need to get plaudits as well. If you get a clean sheet, the least you can do is draw and then it's up to us to get the goals. All the units just need to keep this up now and finish the season strong. In this league, we've had some comebacks and been on the other side so it's about scoring in moments to guarantee the win. The league is very tight. We just need to win every game, go in and try and get the results and just worry about each game as it comes. You don't want to look too far ahead, but fourth is a good place to be in. We just need to keep this up."

Steven Schumacher was happy with the win but admitted there was still some work to be done with the performance, adding: "I am pleased to get the three points and pleased to score the four goals, but I felt that we didn't play that well. Accrington were the better team in the first half and then maybe until Niall Ennis scored the third goal, they also looked a threat. We've definitely played better than that this season but to win it, everyone is made up. I can't be too disappointed with a 4-0 home win, can I? They are a big threat from set pieces, they're massive and they had a lot of opportunities from corners. We gave away some sloppy set pieces, but I think our lads defended well again. I was really pleased at how the players understood and took on board all the work we did in the week. We analysed their threats and Nance put the organisation around set plays together yesterday and they coped with it really well, I am really pleased we managed to get our heads in and clear it. We had a few breaks and chances and just either over hit or under hit the pass, we didn't have the same quality that we normally show. Having said that, we were clinical in good areas and took chances well and the right times. When Niall came on, I think he made a difference. I thought his goal was an unbelievable goal, it was a lovely roll and a great strike."

"We knew March was going to be crazy with loads of games at home that we needed to take advantage of. So far, it's gone well, we have won five on the spin, which doesn't happen too often, we have five clean sheets on the spin as well, which is brilliant. We will keep our feet on the ground and prepare as well as we can for Tuesday and hopefully, we can get another positive result."

19th

Argyle continued their stunning run of form with a 4-0 victory over Accrington Stanley, making it 5 wins in a row with a clean sheet. The greens took a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time with goals from Panutche Camara and Joe Edwards. The third came halfway through a dominant second half thanks to an emphatic Niall Ennis finish. The visitors were reduced to ten men shortly after when their goalkeeper was dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity to Ryan Hardie. Argyle's fourth and final goal came from Hardie himself, his 19th of the season. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards, Camara (Randell), Mayor (Broom), Grant, Hardie, Garrick (Ennis). Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Sessegnon, Jephcott.

17th

James Bolton is part of an Argyle defence that has kept four clean sheets in a row but the defender insisted he is taking things one game at a time, following his entry into the Argyle side after months on the sidelines. Bolton said: "The fans make a massive difference. It was really special to win the game. It was a bit of a cagey affair, but the atmosphere was ridiculous. It's great as a player to be involved in those games. The atmosphere's amazing, the fans are at it. Even the away support is amazing here. It's blown me away at times. I try not to think about it and to go into every game with a fresh start and try and win the game. To be honest, if a clean sheet comes with it, then happy days, but at the moment it's all about the three points."

16th

Steven Schumacher declared his delight at the vociferous atmosphere around Home Park as Argyle pulled off a statement-making win against Portsmouth at Home Park. He went on to give his assessment of the game, saying: "I'm delighted. It was such a big game, such an important game for everybody. The players need to believe in themselves, they need to believe that they can go on and have a really fantastic season. We need to keep on going, we need to try and harness this into more games, and we still have nine massive games to go. We're going to need the energy, we're going to need the fans more than ever to get behind us, it makes a big difference. When Ryan Hardie scored and the noise at the end, wow. The players should all be really proud of themselves, to win three points against Portsmouth, who have been flying lately was really important. That is what all the games are probably going to be like between now and the end of the season, they're going to be tight. I am just made up that we are all bouncing and all going home happy."

"The shape over the last few weeks has been great, we've been working so hard at pressing from the front and we realised that we could pinch the ball high. That's what happened with the goal, Jordan won it off Thompson, Pan then showed some composure and gave it to Ryan, the slotter, and he just continued his good form. We won't always win every game of football, but the lads are trying their best and we are working really hard at getting the best information possible. They are taking that on board and showing their quality when it matters as well so it's all good at the moment.

Ryan Hardie echoed his manager's words on the 'special' game, adding: "It was such a special feeling. To get the win in that sort of game, what a feeling it was," Ryan said, "especially in front of the Devonport End, it was one I'll remember for sure. It was massive. You heard the crowd for the whole game, especially the second half, they dragged us through every tackle, every shot, they were on our side. Everything they did was really pushing us through the game, and when the goal went in, I was ready to run at the crowd, but I'd get booked. It's just such a good feeling scoring goals and I'm glad to be doing that this year. It was a hard mental game, it was a lot in the mind, it was really tough, but we've done it. I was watching Panutche the whole time and didn't see him look up to see me so for him to spot me, it was some magic. We've got that link up, he always looks for me. Then there's only one thing on my mind: back across the goalkeeper. I was buzzing to see it go in. It was for the fans, it's three points in the right direction, let's keep moving. The defence is unbelievable. We can do our job by scoring goals but if they can't keep the back door shut then it means nothing. It takes us three points further up the table, but it also keeps other teams three points further behind. We've had four clean sheets in a row, it's unbelievable really, we only need to score one goal to win a game. We're confident enough we'll get a goal a game so if we can keep the back door shut then hopefully, we can keep going and keep ticking them off."

"It's coming thick and fast, need to recover and see what happens. I'm really looking forward to Saturday. Let's go again."

15th

Argyle made it four wins and four clean sheets in a row, as well as ending the long run of games without a win against Portsmouth with a Ryan Hardie goal halfway through the second half after terrific pressing from Jordan Houghton and Panutche Camara. The game ended 1-0 to the greens who cemented their place in the League One play-off places. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards, Camara, Mayor, Sessegnon (Law), Hardie (Randell), Jephcott (Garrick). Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Broom, Ennis.

13th

Steven Scumacher declared his delight at his side's resistance during the 'perfect' 1-0 away win at Bolton Wanderers, praising the dogged defensive nature of the victory. The manager enthused: "Those are the best sorts of wins. 1-0 away from home, a goal from a set play – it doesn't get much better than that. I thought the lads were excellent and we showed a different sort of character, it was a gutsy performance. It's a massive win, Bolton are in good form, they've been picking up loads of brilliant results of late and they unbeaten here in seven games. We played some good stuff in the first half and created some chances but in the second half we really had to dig in and defend well. Hughesy has been taking charge of attacking set plays and today it was designed and really well worked. We need to get more goals from set plays, so it is something we need to keep working on."

"They had a lot of the possession in the second half and had some good chances. The players they have going forward, even the lads they brought off the bench are quality. We knew we were going to have to defend well, and Michael was going to have to perform, which he did. I am really pleased with the clean sheet. We're not too concerned about what everyone else is doing; we know if we play well and put the effort in like we have done, then we are a good team. It's going to be a tough run in, 10 hard games to go and the players need to take this confidence and put it into more strong performances."

Maccauley Gillesphey also expressed his delight, not only at getting the winning goal but at being part of a defence who kept their third consecutive clean sheet. Gillesphey said: "Can't complain about that can I? Pretty decent day. It was a perfect win. Away from home against a big side doing well, really pleased to get these points. It was a bit of a scruffy match to be honest, they pressed us well to be fair, but I am buzzing to score. It was a great ball in from Jordan, my roomie, so he is looking after us. He has mentioned it to me just now, that's two now, Chelsea and here, so that's good. It was the perfect time to score, wasn't it? Get in the changing room everyone is buzzing and it probably changes their game plan a little bit. We knew the pressure was going to come, they're a good team. I think we've been dealing with pressure all season; a lot of sides have tried to do that to us and we have dealt with it really well. We have a really tough run in now and the boys are really looking forward to it. Every game is a tough game now but we're doing well, keeping clean sheets and so hopefully that can continue."

12th

Argyle secured a vital and hard fought win at Bolton, knocking the hosts out of play-off contention and increasing their own chances in the process. Maccauley Gillesphey headed home from a corner minutes before half-time after a fine Jordan Houghton cross and Argyle were able to see the game through from there. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards, Broom (Camara), Mayor, Grant (Sessegnon), Ennis (Jephcott), Hardie. Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Randell, Garrick.

10th

James Wilson declared his excitement at Argyle's play-off chase whilst stressing the importance of keeping focus, ahead of the all-important run-in. Wilson said: "I think this is what it all comes down to. This is what you look forward to every year, this final bit of the season. We've got some massive games that we're all looking forward to. I think the last two games are really important. I know they're against teams at the bottom of the league but sometimes they're the toughest ones. I think everyone can bring their own bit of wisdom to take, no matter how long they've played. We've put ourselves in a really good position. This is the final push".

"Credit to the boys that we've come out with the last six games and got those results because before that we had a really bad week, we let in a lot of goals. It's good we have addressed that and hopefully we carry on. I think everyone knows how important those games were. I know Saturday seemed like it had a bit of a tense atmosphere and wasn't an exciting game, but for us it was a professional game, so I think that's what we took from it. That is the main aim, to take away the wins definitely."

9th

Steven Schumacher declared his delight at the performance and result as Argyle beat AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at Home Park to boost their play-off hopes. He reflected on a polished all round performance, saying: "Really pleased with the win, it was a tough game and to get another 2-0 win at home is what we look for. We knew these two games were going to be difficult, against Morecambe and Wimbledon, two teams who are down in the league. I thought over the two games the lads have done really well. We deserve the six points. I thought Wimbledon were brilliant for 20 minutes, they had some really good movement. They've got good forward players, when we played them earlier on in the season they were in good form and we remember them from that, and today was no different. I think once we grew into the game and we settled down a little bit and started passing the ball, we looked okay. The second half I thought was really good, proper professional performance, a great goal to get the second one, possibly could've had one or two more as well. Teams like Morecambe and AFC Wimbledon, they're fighting for their lives, they're not going to come here and make it easy. I thought it was a slightly better performance than Saturday, a better atmosphere from everyone, and I'm just made up with the three points."

Ryan Hardie made it 17 goals in all competitions with his goal against the dons, moving ever closer to his target of 20 for the season. The Scottish striker mused: "20 is where the next objective is for the season. It's another one ticked off tonight, which is nice, but the main thing was the three points tonight. I had a chance a couple of minutes before my goal, but the ball was bouncing, so I thought better of it. To get the goal so early was great for me, we were able to grow into the game and it's important getting that first goal. Dan spotted me well. I took a touch across the goal, took another one to move the 'keeper a bit and it went through his legs. Two assists in two games is great and hopefully we can continue this relationship and get some more at the weekend. It's all positive at the moment, we've got the first two games of March out the way now, it's important we got off to that good start and to do it with clean sheets is even better. Now the focus is onto Saturday and we want to go there and put in a performance."

Panutche Camara and Luke Jephcott have been selected for Guinea-Bissau and Wales respectively for the next international break at the end of March. They will miss the games against Cheltenham and Ipswich.

8th

Argyle made it back to back wins and clean sheets with a 2-0 victory over Wimbledon at Home Park, in a game that never really looked in doubt. Ryan Hardie cooly put the greens into the lead with a composed one v one finish before Ryan Broom tapped home in the second half to put the fixture beyond any doubt. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton, Edwards, Broom, Mayor (Camara), Grant (Sessegnon), Ennis, Hardie (Garrick). Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Randell, Jephcott.

6th

Steven Schumacher gave his assessment of Argyle's win against Morecambe and shared his hopes that the victory can act as a springboard for Argyle ahead of a crowded month of fixtures. The gaffer said: "It was good to get the three points especially after the last two results that we've had. It was important to start this month well and with that performance and result, we have. I think that's the first time Conor has headed the ball since he was about nine, but it was a lovely move and was well worked. It was a lovely stood up ball and a brave header. Getting the early goal helped," he said. "To get the two goal cushion into half time was great and we made sure we didn't let the tempo drop. It was always going to be a tough game and even though the score line might say it was comfortable, it really was difficult. They had a few chances; Michael made some good saves but to get the three points is the main thing. We have loads of positives from the game. Derek Adams has that side well drilled and defensively solid, so we had to be patient."

"I thought the three of them on the left were brilliant today. Danny, Macca and Conor caused them all sorts of problems. Both goals were great goals and the type of goals that we like to score. I thought the lads played incredibly well. Now we're in the final stretch of the season, it's important to get a good start in March to set us up and get that momentum going. Today could have been a bit of banana skin and it was a bit of a strange atmosphere and maybe everybody expected us to win, but they are tough games and the players deserve a lot of credit."

On his return to the first team, Ryan Broom added: "It felt good to out in a performance and get back to my best. I was glad to get the 90 minutes to be honest, I always feel like I'm better when I'm playing and building up my fitness levels. I am just happy to help the team to be honest. We didn't really focus on making sure we scored early but just wanted to start well and put in a good performance. It was a much needed three points and hopefully we can build those performances and kick on now. I thought we played really well, we created loads of chances in the first half especially, and moved the ball quickly at times which I think caused them a lot of problems. The more we do that and take the chances like we did today, means we will win a lot of games. Tuesday is another opportunity for us to go and get three points, under the lights with a top atmosphere no doubt, and keep this momentum going. We're playing good stuff and have confidence at the moment."

5th

Argyle returned to winning ways at Home Park with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morecambe, on Derek Adams' return to the club after being re-hired by the visiting side. Conor Grant and Ryan Hardie secured a two goal lead at half-time with two headed goals. The second half saw a number of Morecambe chances but Argyle had enough to see out the victory. Argyle: M Cooper, Wilson, Bolton, Gillesphey, Houghton (Randell), Edwards, Broom, Mayor, Grant, Jephcott (Ennis), Hardie (Garrick). Subs: Burton, Crichlow, Sessegnon, Camara.

3rd

Mike Cooper looked ahead to the double header of games at Home Park against Morecambe and AFC Wimbledon, the latter of which is likely to be his milestone 100th appearance for Argyle. Cooper said: "We're expecting a tougher more tight-knit team to play against. A team we will probably have to break down and be wary of on the counter. They've still got top goal scorer for them, Cole Stockton, who's obviously a threat. We can't rule out the possibility of them being dangerous in their own regard, we've just got to make the most of our chances on Saturday. Everyone knows how much the club means to me. To make 50 appearances for the club was good, 100 will be even better. The next six or seven games could be make or break. However, most of the games are at home, so we're looking positively toward each game to take as many points and hopefully get to where we want to be."

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