THE DAILY DIARY

Argyle News Sites:

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

Plymouth Argyle FC

The Herald

Western Morning News

News Now

On This Day:

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

Wednesday 30th November 2022

Argyle's Round Three tie in the Papa Johns Trophy against AFC Wimbledon will take place at Home Park on Tuesday, 13 December at 7pm. After getting through the group stage, Argyle won 3-2 against Charlton Athletic to reach the third round. Wimbledon won their group, and then beat last season's finalists Sutton United 1-0 to reach this stage. Tickets are now on sale for this fixture.

29th

Fewer than 200 tickets remain for Friday night's League One game against Port Vale at Home Park. If you are not able to make it to Home Park, you will be able to watch the game, wherever you are in the world, on Argyle TV. Because of the regulations on broadcast throughout the period of the World Cup, all of Argyle's League One and Papa Johns Trophy fixtures are available to stream until the tournament in Qatar is concluded.

26th

Steven Schumacher will have to be at his persuasive best if he is to bring the players to boost the promotion push in January. Asked if he has been given assurances over being handed funds in January, Schumacher said: "Not really, no. That isn't the way we would go about it where they say 'There is going to be this amount of money for you in January'. What we always do is put a proposal together, to say: 'These are the players that we feel can improve the squad in January. These are the players that we think would give us a better chance to stay towards the top end of the division, and this is how much it's going to cost'. That's over to the recruitment team, and to the data analytics team, to put those packages together and then I will sit in front of Andrew Parkinson and explain what we are thinking about, and tell him what it's going to cost.

Schumacher is keen to strengthen when the transfer window opens in January, but with five loanees already at Home Park, it is unlikely more will head to the Westcountry. "The budget is what it is. It's pretty much spent." He said, "There is a little tiny bit left from what we got given in the summer for an emergency, which we always like to do. For us to improve the squad is probably going to take further investment now. The person to best decide how we get that investment is David Ray, the head of finance. He understands how it all works better than I do. My job will be to say 'Look, I think this is where we need to strengthen, these are the players we want, can we afford them, can we get them?' If they say yes, then brilliant. If they say no, that's out of the remit, then that's the answer. We work to a pretty strict budget."

25th

Steven Schumacher has been issued a one match touchline ban and a £1,000 fine after accepting the charge of breaching FA Rule E3 after the Greens' 2-2 Sky Bet League One draw against Burton Albion on Saturday. The club has stated that it'll make no further comment on the issue.

Fresh from signing a new, five-year deal with Plymouth Argyle, manager Steven Schumacher insists that promotion is not the be all and end all at Home Park this season. The Pilgrims have put themselves into a fantastic position with 43 points from their first 19 games, which sees them top of the table, two points ahead of second-placed Ipswich Town and three ahead of the play-off pack. But while expectation and excitement is understandably growing around Home Park, Schumacher insists that there have been no demands placed on him by the Argyle board after handing him a new contract last week. "Well, it hasn't been written out to me to say 'We have to get promoted or you are getting the sack Schuey'. That's not the case," he said. "The case is keep progressing, keep trying to perform and keep trying to improve as a club. That was the objective. We knew where we were at. We wanted to try and get into the top half last season. We just missed out on the play-offs. This season we wanted to try and get into the play-offs and now we are in the automatic promotion places at the moment. "Just to keep trying to improve and keep trying to progress is the remit. And that's what we will try and do."

Argyle are without a match this weekend as their FA Cup campaign ended at the first hurdle with a shock 5-1 defeat at League Two Grimsby Town. That break could be a blessing in disguise as it allows players carrying knocks and niggles the opportunity to shake them off and be ready for when League One action commences at Home Park against Port Vale next Friday.

23rd

Starting Argyle's Papa Johns second round game against Charlton Athletic, Caleb Roberts scored the Pilgrims' third goal in a 3-2 victory. The midfielder, from Ivybridge, has been in good form for Darren Way's Under-18 team this season, and was naturally pleased to translate that into the first team. "It was great. It was such a good feeling," he said. "I have played a couple of games and haven't managed to score, so to get on the scoresheet is good. I've bagged a few for the under-18s to be fair, more than most of my seasons so far." Roberts played in the centre of Argyle's midfield with Adam Randell, five years Caleb's senior, and given the armband for the game. Randell was a calm, controlled figure in the centre of the park, and his presence, along with other senior players such as Niall Ennis, Bali Mumba and Sam Cosgrove, was not lost on Roberts. "We had the senior players there to get hold of the game," said Caleb. "Adam Randell would just quieten it down. It was so helpful playing alongside Adam, because you have someone to look up to and to follow his actions. He sets an example on the pitch. It's a confidence booster, getting to play for the first team and getting minutes. Now we are through to the next round and hopefully that will be some more minutes."

The win puts Argyle into round three, and suddenly a scenario arises where just three more wins could see the Greens in the final of the competition. Could Caleb's perfect season be capped by an appearance at Wembley? "That would be amazing!" he said.

22nd

An Argyle side packed with youth and home-grown talent surged from behind to book their place in the Papa Johns Trophy round of 16 with a 3-2 victory over Charlton Athletic.Having gone a goal down early on courtesy of a Daniel Kanu effort, Argyle powered to 3-1 with goals from Sam Cosgrove, Niall Ennis and 17-year-old Caleb Roberts. Substitute Karoy Anderson fired home a consolation in added time for the Addicks, but the result rarely looked in doubt following Roberts' effort early in the second half.

Argyle: Burton, Ennis (Hardie), Miller (Endacott), Cosgrove (Issaka), Mumba (Edwards), Randell (Whittaker), Craske, Pursall, Halls, Jenkins Davies, Roberts. Substitutes (not used): Cooper, Galloway.

The future of Plymouth Argyle merged with the present as the Greens progressed into the third round of the Papa John Trophy with a 3-2 victory over Charlton Athletic. Goal sorer Roberts was one of five teenagers to start the game – the others being Finley Craske, Brandon Pursall, Oscar Halls and Will Jenkins Davies - all of whom have come through Argyle's academy system. Jack Endacott and Freddie Issaka took that tally to seven when coming on as substitutes. Adam Randell, another product of the Academy, wore the captain's armband for the night and Steven Scumacher was suitably impressed with his performance. "He looked like a man amongst boys," he said, "The way he is performing, he has become an established first-team player. He wore the captain's armband tonight, and hopefully in the not-too-distant future he will be the captain of this club. It was only two seasons ago that he was in their position and using this game to settle himself in."

He also spoke about the importance of the competition. "I understand that a lot of people give this competition stick, the crowd was only 1,300; a lot of people don't take it seriously, and that is fair enough. But we see it as a great opportunity. How else is Adam Randell able to perform the way his performing without the experience and how else will Caleb Roberts or Freddie Issaka or any of the teenagers at the back get an opportunity? Will JD played well again tonight – he has scored in this competition; Oscar Halls has scored in it; Caleb scored to become the fifth-youngest goalscorer for the club, and Freddie should have beaten that when he went through one v one. If we don't take this competition seriously, if we hadn't got through the group stage, that would be one less chance for them to shine. Playing in the first team in a league game is a different kind of pressure. This is still pressure, but it gives them the confidence to go and do it, and perform. Progression is good for a number of reasons. We get a few quid extra, which is a bonus. Now we're only three games from Wembley, which is an incentive. But the biggest incentive is that the younger lads are going to get another game. Wherever we go now, there will be opportunities for them. I'm not going to suddenly turn round and play everybody we can, because everyone knows we haven't got the squad to do that. We can't physically play the same 11 or the same starting players. We need the young players to come in and do what they have done tonight."

Argyle's central of three defenders was Oscar Halls. Eight minutes in, Halls dithered on the ball, got caught in possession and allowed Kanu to score Charlton's opening goal. It was undeniably a mistake and a costly one at that. However, Schumacher is not one for dwelling on that, and instead praised Halls' admirable response to his early transgression. He said: "The first thing I said to him after the game was 'well done', because we had a long way to go in that game and it could have been a tough night against a lively opponent, but he learned from that mistake and every time he got the ball again, he didn't dwell on it. For us, as a coaching staff, that is saying that he is a bright lad. He has seen what he did wrong last time and didn't make the mistake again. He was good throughout the rest of the game and enjoyed it. Fair play to him. We see when they train with us that they can all handle the ball, they are technically good players. Their character is good and they don't shy away. When you come on the main pitch and there are fans here and you are in the first-team players, a mistake like Oscar made can send people under. The team that we could field tonight was very young, very inexperienced, but it was a brilliant opportunity for the young lads. I'm delighted that every one of them stepped up and put a performance in that got us through to the next round."

21st

Argyle take on Charlton Athletic in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday, but it is a game that manager Steven Schumacher has mixed feelings about. Schumacher has consistently declared the competition is one that his Argyle side take seriously, and they proved that by winning their group phase, thus earning this home tie. It is the first time Argyle have reached the second round of the competition since it was restructured in 2016. However, the Pilgrims have a growing injury, with several players ruled out for a while, and others nursing knocks. Thus, Schumacher has accepted that several of his young pros and academy prospects are likely to feature against the Addicks. "It's another game that we are looking forward to," said Schumacher, "but we are a bit stretched at the moment on numbers, so it's not come a great time. We have a few knocks from Saturday's game and some long-term injuries. It's a game we want to play, and progress, but we are also going to be mindful of the team we put out because we are on bare bones.

Also set to play a part is Mickel Miller. The wing-back, who signed in the summer, was injured on the eve of the season, and it was not until a cameo at Burton Albion on Saturday that he finally made his competitive Argyle bow. Schumacher said "When you are a player and you've been injured, you've got to play sooner or later. We were made up to get Mickel on the pitch on Saturday for ten minutes, and he looked sharp. He'll play on Tuesday night, which is good. We'll have to monitor how long we play him for, or whether we put him on the bench. We'll have that discussion with him. The rest of the lads we put out there will be the ones with the energy at the moment to put a performance in. It is an opportunity for the young players who will come in and start, and others who will be involved and get some experience. It will be good for them as well."

Now the competition has entered the knockout stages, schumacher is aware of the pitfalls. "This time, if you don't play well then you are out of the competition and that's it until next year. We don't want that. We want to perform as best we can, try to get through to the next round, where hopefully we will have more fit players by then."

Charlton got to this stage by finishing as runners-up in the group. Ben Garner has varied his starting 11 in this competition, with a hard-to-predict variation in terms of his inclusion of senior pros and younger players. "Charlton have an FA Cup game with Stockport so I'll be surprised if Ben doesn't make changes," said Schumacher. "I've looked at their team, and the team the analysts have put in front of me, with all the changes, is still very strong. Charlton are a good club in this division and have a good squad, a big squad. Whoever they put on the pitch will have good quality. We didn't want to go out of the FA Cup – far from it – but it served up a free weekend where we can reset, go away and recharge. Everybody can get some downtime which mentally and physically we need. We've had three away games on the spin, the travelling has been hard. We'll play Tuesday night, give it our best, then the players will have a few days to go home, see families and then get back to work ready for Port Vale."

20th

Steven Schumacher spoke about the goal deep into second half stoppage time at Burton Albion which prevented Argyle from producing another classic turnaround victory. "It stings," Schumacher said after the game. "It feels as though it is a defeat. The two goals we conceded were poor, but they are goals that Burton Albion score; they don't play any nice football. They are the kind of scrappy goal that they get. We didn't deal with balls into our box well enough. I'm fuming with the equalising goal because we feel like it's a foul on Mickel Miller. Mickel heads the ball first, Hamer butts him in the back of the head but for some reason they get the drop ball. Burton drag you into a fight, into a slugfest. It's hard to pass your way through that when they've got energy in the first half. The team was picked to combat that and I think we did it well for the majority of the half. On the stroke of half-time they got a lucky bounce from a long throw that you can't stop coming into your box. Fortunately for them it goes into the goal. I wasn't too disappointed with how we played in the first half. The game was what we expected. In the second half, the subs that came on gave us loads of energy and some quality. We managed to start passing the ball because there was a bit more space. The two goals we scored were brilliant goals. It was well-worked for the penalty, and Bali's was a great finish. It's pleasing that we managed to come through a tough game still unbeaten."

An injury to James Wilson, picked up at training on Friday, meant an unexpected return for Macaulay Gillesphey, who had not played since last September because of injury. Gillesphey played well in an Argyle defence which unusually comprised a back four, with Brendan Galloway playing at left-back and Mumba asked to play in a more offensive role. "We played a back four," said Schumacher. "We just felt it was the best way to combat the air raids that you get here. They boom it up to the top and we had four trying to deal with it instead of three. We felt that was the best way forward. We felt if we could get Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker on the ball higher up the pitch in the wide areas, because there is no real space in the middle of the pitch. We stuck to the shape second half and got two great goals from it. I thought Macca was outstanding. To step in and play 90 minutes having not had lads of training sessions or game for so many months was brilliant. He played really well. James Wilson had an issue yesterday in training, he blocked a shot and his ankle ligament opened up a little bit. It was a bit sore this morning, and we couldn't get it scanned or a diagnosis so we didn't want to risk it for today's game in case it is something bad."

As well as Gillepshey's return, there was another positive on the injury front as Mickel Miller made his long-awaited Argyle debut as a later substitute. Signed in the summer and looking promising during pre-season, Miller was injured before the season kicked off but surprisingly grabbed some minutes in this game, and will likely feature in Tuesday's Papa Johns Trophy fixture against Charlton Athletic at Home Park. "He looked sharp when he came on," Schumacher said. "He defended well and showed glimpses of what he is capable of. Fifteen minutes was probably all he could manage. We'll get him some more minutes midweek. It's brilliant to have him back because he is a really, really good player."

After not playing since 25 September, Macaulay Gillesphey might not have expected to play the full 90 minutes of Argyle's 2-2 draw at Burton Albion. He did so, not only coming through the whole game, but putting in a strong performance in Argyle defence, this time set up as a back four. "I was not expecting it, but thankfully I got through it without any problems," he said. "It's always tough coming to Burton, especially with the tight pitch. They love to go a bit longer, but it is not something new to us. It's a good challenge. The team talk at half-time was spot on. We came out in the second half looking like a different team. We caused lots of problems with Niall and Ryan coming on. It was good to get some minutes in the legs again. It's been a little while. I was cramping up at the end, my legs are tired, but it was good to get the minutes. It's always tough, not playing and being injured, but at the same time the lads have been flying, so you can't complain. I've been buzzing for them, every week they've been doing so well."

19th

Argyle secured a 2-2 at Burton Albion this afternoon, but were denied all three points by a last-minute header from Adrian Mariappa after what had been a superb second-half recovery. Burton edged a scrappy first half with a Bobby Kamwa strike on 41 minutes but the introduction of Niall Ennis and Ryan Hardie pumped some extra energy into the Greens after the break. Hardie levelled the scores with a penalty after a foul on Ennis and the game was seemingly won by a super strike at top speed from Bali Mumba, finding the top corner on 73 minutes. Victory was seconds away when Mariappa rose highest to head home and earn his side a point.

Argyle: Cooper, Gillesphey, Houghton, Butcher (Ennis), Edwards, Cosgrove (Hardie), Mumba (Miller), Whittaker (Craske), Randell, Lonwijk, Galloway. Substitutes (not used): Burton, Pursall, Jenkins Davies.

18th

Following the recent trips to Grimsby Town and Lincoln City, Argyle will be travelling again tomorrow when they travel to Burton Albion. "I'm sick of the motorway," said Steven Schumacher, when previewing the match. "It's our third away game on the spin, but we've sold out again, which is brilliant. We won't complain, because we know how important it is to our fans who follow us up and down the country. It's harder for them than it is for us, the way we travel. We won't complain about it, and we'll go and put in a performance that hopefully gets us three points. When you walk out the tunnel, and see all your fans behind the goal, it gives you a huge lift. We all understand how important it is for our fans. The distances they travel is hard work, and financially it costs a load of money. We do speak about that, and we understand that the bare minimum we do is put 100% effort in. They fans deserve it. The players – credit to them – have done that this year. We've picked up some great results away from home. As long they put the effort it, I'll appreciate it, and I'm sure the fans will as well."

Burton are 23rd in the league, but showing signs of improvement since Dino Maamria swapped the assistant's role for the top job, just over two months ago. Schumacher knows something about that transition, and knows a thing or two about what to expect at Burton, too. "It's never an easy game, to go away and play Burton," he said. "Playing there as a player, I remember what it was always like. A tight pitch, fans right on top of you. The style can be that the game is stop-start. It was like that last season, and the season before wasn't a great spectacle to watch. We just have to go there and put in a performance that gets you a result. We understand what they are all about. They've been good at home lately. I watched the game against Charlton, I thought they played really well. They've got some firepower in the team, like I feel I say every week. That's what we are up against, and we have to make sure we play well, battle well, compete – and then pass the ball and play our football. That's how we will have the best chance of winning."

17th

As he approaches his 12-month anniversary as manager, Steven Schumacher has signed a new deal at Home Park. Schumacher has put pen to paper on a two-year extension, taking his contract to the summer of 2027.

Argyle Chief Executive Officer Andrew Parkinson said: "When we moved to appoint Steven a year ago, we saw the potential he possessed and believed he had the ability to flourish within our structure. It was clear to us that Steven had the tactical and coaching acumen to thrive in this environment, and we are delighted to see how he has risen to the challenge of leading the team. He often talks about his achievements being the result of the culture across the club, and he is absolutely correct, but he has been a big part of helping us drive forward. The club and Steven have the opportunity to grow further together in what is an incredibly exciting time for Argyle. We are delighted to reward him for his efforts and look forward to building on an incredibly positive 12 months."

Argyle Director of Football Neil Dewsnip said: "I am delighted that Steven has agreed to extend his contract at Argyle. This extension indicates that he sees his future at Plymouth Argyle, he wants to keep developing as a young manager and to achieve our collective goal of making Argyle a Championship team. I look forward to continuing my support to him on both a professional and personal level."

On signing his new deal, Steven Schumacher said: "I'm delighted. It means everything. The support that I have received from the board, Andrew Parkinson and Simon Hallett over the last 12 months that I have been manager has been incredible. For me, signing this extension says I believe in the plan. I'm fully committed to it, and I have been since the day we came down here. I work hard every single day to try to achieve that. This contract is another step in the plan. The commitment that club has shown me, and that I have shown to them, shows that I believe in the plan. I don't take it for granted. The football club is a huge part of the city. I understand that having been here for a few years now. I know what it means to everybody. The support from the fans has been different class. I will continue to work hard for everyone at the club, and the fans, and we can all look forward to some good days in the future."

15th

Because of regulation changes during the period of the World Cup, Argyle are permitted to stream the upcoming Burton game domestically and internationally via Argyle TV. Argyle have sold all of their allocation of tickets for Saturday's match, so the regulation change give supporters who weren't able to secure a ticket the chance to see the game live.

14th

Conor Grant is fully focused on returning stronger after the Plymouth Argyle wing-back had surgery on a torn thigh muscle. Connor suffered the injury during the first half of the FA Cup tie away to Grimsby Town on November 5 when he attempted a shot and is set to be ruled out for between three to four months. He has now had two operations in 2022, following groin surgery at the end of last season, and only returned to action from that in late September, since when he has made three starts and six substitute appearances. Grant has posted the following message on Instagram: "Gutted to have picked up the injury last week, tough one to take but unfortunately these things happen in football and all part of the game! Fully focused on returning stronger."

12th

A trademark rocket from the right boot of Adam Randell was enough to give Argyle a hard-fought point at Lincoln City, in a match which ended 1-1. The Randell special arrived on the half-hour but Argyle were pegged back by another fine strike from Max Sanders on the stroke half-time. A frenetic second half presented both teams with chances to claim maximum points and the Pilgrims were ultimately grateful to Mike Cooper for an unbelievable double save to secure the draw.

Argyle: Cooper, Wilson, Lonwijk, Galloway, Edwards, Houghton, Randell, Mumba (Cosgrove), Whittaker, Hardie (Butcher), Ennis (Issaka). Substitutes (not used): Burton, Gillesphey, Halls, Jenkins Davies.

After the 1-1 draw at Lincoln City, Steven Schumacher was content with a point gained. "I thought it was a good point," Schumacher said. "This is not an easy place to come to. Nobody has managed to win here yet. They've beaten Derby County, they drew with Sheffield Wednesday, beaten Ipswich away. As I said earlier on in the week, they've obviously got some spirit. It was a proper fight. Throughout the 90 minutes we played, in spells, some good stuff. We probably could have looked after the ball better, but the character that we've shown to dig in and fight when we had to put our backs to the wall was really pleasing. It's another good point on the tally towards where we want to get to. There was some good attacking play, we had spells where we created a couple of nice opportunities, so did they. There were a few errors in there for both teams too. When one team made an error, the other team seemed to build a spell of pressure. It was a good fight; two teams who were fully committed and went for it. We obviously wanted to come here and get three points, but a point away from home, given good the start of the season has been, and how strong our home form has been, is a good point. You've got to remember that other teams see where we are in the league, see how well we've been playing. We're top of the league, they are going to be desperate to take the scalp off us. The commitment and effort Lincoln. Showed today, they probably deserve the point out of it. We've got to learn from that and understand that in those games you need to just be calm, not make too many errors, and if we do create opportunities, be a bit more clinical with it. I'm definitely not disappointed with one on the road."

The final substitution of the match generated a nice moment, as Freddie Issaka came on for his league debut, aged 16 years and 107 days, making him the second-youngest Pilgrim to appear for Argyle in league action, behind Lee Phillips. "I'm pleased for young Freddie, making his league debut.2 said Schumacher, "It won't be the last we see of him."

Adam Randell was rather to the point when asked to describe his goal at Lincoln City. "The ball came out to me and I hit it," he said. "It was just outside the box," said Randell, "Scoring inside the box is a bit boring, isn't it? I'm just glad I am getting into those positions where I can start affecting the game. I'm happy to be on the scoresheet. I'm more relaxed now. I know I can do it. I feel the confidence in myself, and the ability to hit them."

Randell declared Argyle to be content enough to come away with something. "We're naturally disappointed not to go home with a win – that's what we want to do every game – but we're happy with the point, and it is something to build on." He said. "They made it hard for us. They pressed well. We knew it was going to be tough coming here. I guess we are happy to come away with a point instead of none. There were definitely times where we were under pressure. We had to defend, which we did well for large parts. We put some blocks in, and Cooper made a couple of worldie saves – as per. We stuck with it, stuck together and managed to come away with a decent result."

11th

Steven Schumacher has been named the League One Manager of the Month for October. It is the second month in a row that Schumacher has won the award, and the third time in total since becoming Argyle boss in December 2021. "It's always good to get some recognition," he said. "Winning it back-to-back shows how well the players are doing. It's a really good achievement, something I am really proud of. Teams can have a good month and put a patch of results together, but to do consistently over 14 games in September and October, it shows how well the players are playing. We've worked hard to get the results. It hasn't been easy; it's been a tough couple of months. The results have been fantastic, we just need that to continue."

Argyle have been drawn at home against Charlton Athletic in Round Two of the Papa Johns Trophy. The Greens progressed to the second round for the first time since the current tournament format was established by topping a group. Charlton came second in group A which saw Colchester United advance as group winners.

10th

After a 5-1 defeat against Grimsby Town in the FA Cup last Saturday, Argyle return to Lincolnshire this weekend, where Lincoln City await the travelling Pilgrims in a League One fixture. The Imps have a curious home record this season. They are unbeaten in seven games at the LNER Stadium, having won one and drawn the other six. Argyle boss Steven Schumacher draws a logical conclusion from that stat. "It shows that it is a hard place to go and win. They've played a lot of the big teams and got good results: Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, they won away at Ipswich. They are obviously not an easy team to play against. They have got a spirit and a fight within them. Going forward, they've got speed, a good work rate at the top end of the pitch, and they are a threat on the counter-attack. That is something we will have need to be aware of, so we don't cause ourselves too many problems.

Schumacher is looking for an improvement in performance and result, "Hopefully this visit to Lincolnshire is better than the one last weekend. We weren't at it, we didn't play very well, and Grimsby were the better team. We spoke about it on Monday, analysed and debriefed, and moved on. The focus all week has been getting back to basics and doing what we are good at. Hopefully we can put in a better performance against Lincoln City. It's another tough game, but if we are right, it's another we feel we can get something from."

Dan Scarr and Conor Grant both went off with injuries during the Grimsby game, and both will miss out several games, however, Macaulay Gillesphey will return to the Argyle squad at Lincoln, while Mickel Miller, who is yet to make his Pilgrims debut, now has a game earmarked for his return. "Grant and Scarr are both not going to be available," said Schumacher. "Conor Grant is going to be more long-term than Dan Scarr. He has quite a significant tear in his thigh after attempting a shot early in the game at Grimsby. He could be out for three or four months. It is a similar to timescale to Mickel Miller. Dan Scarr isn't as serious, but might be missing for four to six weeks. It's a bit of a blow for us but, thankfully, Macaulay Gillesphey is back in the squad, and will be involved at the weekend. He's trained ok and is getting through his problem. Mickel is doing ok. He has trained a little bit with us. He's been in modified training sessions and is doing well. We'll step him up again on Friday to do a bit more contact. Next week is full contact for him, fingers crossed he comes through that. We've got a Papa Johns Trophy game coming up soon, so touch wood he might get a few minutes in that game."

Morgan Whittaker returns on Saturday to a club where he spent much of the opening portion of 2022. In January's transfer window Morgan, who is a Swansea City player, was loaned to Lincoln City, where he played 20 games, scoring five goals. Now a Pilgrim, Morgan is preparing to head back to Lincoln for the first time since playing for the Imps. He is also preparing to return to the county of Lincolnshire following last Saturday's exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town. Morgan, though, is looking to the future, not the past. "It was one game," he said, regarding Grimsby. "Everyone know how bad it was, but we can't let that affect us going forward. We know what we can do in the league and we've got to keep that going. It'll be a good game. We've got to go there and get the three points, that's the main thing. After Grimsby we have to bounce back and carry on the form in the league. Lincoln was my first loan, so was obviously a big part of my career. I enjoyed it. I got 20 games under my belt and was starting back-to-back games. It was a big step in my career.

Morgan has seven goals so far in his Argyle stint, and Morgan says it is a pleasure to be playing as part of the Argyle attacking unit at the moment. "It's what every attacker wants," he said. "To be in a team where you are going to get chances. It's not just me scoring goals, it's shared between the attacking line, Every attacker knows their role, and wants to help each other. You know where your players want to be, doing it in training, extra shooting, and just having that relationship where you can see on the pitch that everyone is scoring and assisting."

9th

Steven Schumacher and Michael Cooper have received nominations for League One awards for October. Schumacher is up for Manager of the Month, an award he won for September. Cooper is in the running for Player of the Month, and will be looking to follow on from Morgan Whittaker, who won the award last month. Argyle played seven league games in a busy October, and came away with six wins and a draw to solidify their position on the top of the League One table. Cooper kept two clean sheets in the month, seemingly making brilliant saves in every game, but particularly shining in wins over Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday. The winners will be announced early on Friday morning.

5th

In a season of supreme highs, Argyle suffered a painful low to exit the FA Cup with a heavy defeat at Grimsby Town. The Pilgrims actually got off to an ideal start, Adam Randell rifling home an early opener, but the Mariners responded through Andy Smith and surged into a 4-1 half-time lead with further strikes by Michee Efete, Brendan Kiernan and Anthony Glennon. A difficult day was complete when Kiernan grabbed a fifth before the hour and Argyle's FA Cup journey is over for this season. Steven Schumacher made five changes from the win over Exeter, Matt Butcher, Ryan Hardie, Conor Grant, Nigel Lonwijk and teenager Will Jenkins Davies coming in for James Wilson, Niall Ennis, Bali Mumba, Morgan Whittaker and Jordan Houghton.

Argyle: Cooper, Lonwijk, Scarr (Wilson), Galloway (Roberts), Edwards, Randell, Butcher, Grant (Mumba), Jenkins Davies (Whittaker), Hardie, Cosgrove (Ennis). Substitutes (not used): Burton, Pursall, Halls, Issaka.

Steven Schumacher was understandably unhappy with both the result and performance at Grimsby. "It was terrible," he said. "From the first whistle, we started the game ok, got ourselves into a good lead, played in their half for a few minutes then from about five minutes onwards, they were the better team. They played with more energy than us, more quality than us. They created loads more chances and were deservedly the better team. From how well we've been playing, the standards that we've set, we were nowhere near it today. It's a bit of a shock, and not acceptable."

To compound matters, Conor Grant and Dan Scarr both limped off with injuries in the first half. Jordan Houghton missed the trip entirely, because of a personal matter. "Both said they felt their thigh," said Schumacher, of Grant and Scarr. "Jordan had a family issue on Thursday evening, so he wasn't available. We were a bit stretched. We missed Jordan today because he would have been someone who could pass the ball to a grey shirt."

Under-18s players Will Jenkins Davies and Caleb Roberts featured during the game; Jenkins Davies starting the match and playing 45 minutes, Roberts coming on as a second-half substitute. "I don't think the seniors have helped them out today," said Schumacher. "The performance was so far off it. Will Jenkins Davies had a tough 45 minutes, not down to his own fault. Everyone to a man wasn't at it today, apart from Niall Ennis who came on and did well. In the second half he came on and had a go. I'm pleased Caleb Roberts gets on the pitch, but not in the right circumstances. He should be coming on the pitch when his team are performing, or at least competing. We didn't compete the whole afternoon and got what we deserved: absolutely nothing."

After Argyle's 5-1 defeat at the hands of Grimsby Town, Joe Edwards accepted that the performance was below the standards he and his team-mates set for themselves. "We were well below our standards that we've set this season," said Edwards. "That's the most frustrating thing. We've got to perform in each game. There's no excuse for how we played. We needed to be a lot more resilient. We knew how they were going to play, their threats and how they press with energy. It's a really frustrating day. That's not how we want to play. We'll have to reflect and carry on the run we've been on. You have to look yourself in the mirror when you have days like this and realise what's got you to where you are. That's been hard work and commitment, competing all the time. Today we didn't do that. We were well short of our standards. Apologies to everyone who travelled to watch that. It wasn't good enough.

Argyle return to league action at Lincoln City next weekend, and with injuries affecting the squad, the week ahead promises to be one where Argyle look to regroup and go again. "It's down to us now to turn it around," said Joe. "We've got some big games coming up we need to perform in. We know it's not going to be easy against these teams because we're there to be got at. To win games, we need to compete, and we didn't do that today. After a game like that you just want to play the next game. We've got a week now to build up to the next game, to work on a few things. Hopefully we can cover up a few bodies that are a bit sore. We've got to look forward now. It was not our day, and it is something we really need to improve on."

3rd

This season's FA Cup the journey begins at Blundell Park, home of League Two side Grimsby Town. Steven Schumacher is looking forward to the clash. "Last year was the best experience of the FA Cup, getting to the fourth round and playing Chelsea away, and doing as well as we did. That was special. Hopefully we can get the first hurdle out of the way on Saturday at Grimsby."

Argyle head into the tournament top of League One, meaning they are the highest-ranked team in the FA Cup at this stage. "The excitement builds," said Schumacher. "We are the ones everyone will be wanting to beat. We've got a really tricky game, away at Grimsby, but if we get through that, we hope we can progress and then once you get to the third round, the Championship and Premier League teams come in, and the competition kicks in properly. They are going to be desperate to put a mark against us. They have nothing to lose. I remember going to their ground as a player a few times, it is always a tough place to go. They get a good crowd. We are expecting a tough game."

Although Grimsby are lower league opponents, Schumacher is not expecting an easy match. "Paul Hurst is their manager, who we know a little bit about. He did really well in League One with Shrewsbury, and previously at Grimsby Town, and he's gone back there. He always has his teams really well organised, and they are always a fit team. They have a threat on the counter-attack. They have Ryan Taylor playing up front for them, who we know at Argyle. We're not expecting to roll up there and have it all our own way. It's a cup tie, anything can happen in the FA Cup, that's why everybody loves it."

The FA Cup holds a dear place in Dan Scarr's footballing heart. "I love this competition," Dan said. "It's where I came through, out of non-league and into the Football League. Last season, we got Birmingham, Chelsea, we had games on TV against Sheffield Wednesday and Rochdale. It's good all round. Good things can come of it, for the club financially with TV draws and big draws. You just have to get through. These ones are the toughest, where you are not classed as the underdog. We'll give it a good go, we'll be professional about it. I've never played at Grimsby, so I'm not sure what it's like, but I've played against them over the years and they can be scrappy, get in your face. You just have to be prepared for that. That's what the staff will do: prepare us the right way, and do a professional job to go up there and get in the next round."

2nd

Finn Azaz is set to miss 10-12 weeks of Argyle's season following ligament damage to his right ankle. Steven Schumacher admitted it was a blow but gave hope of players returning to add depth, saying: "It's quite a serious ankle injury. He's going to be missing for a good while - 10 to 12 weeks maybe. There is ligament damage and a fracture in his ankle. It's a big blow, but Danny isn't too far away - two, three weeks away - and Mickel Miller the same - three weeks away, maybe four. He's obviously going to take a bit of time to get going because he hasn't played this season, but we need them back.

"We didn't have him against Exeter and we have managed to score four goals. It's a blow but with the players we have got we feel as though they can keep producing performances. We might have to tweak things slightly but we will figure it out and find a way. Finn is gutted, I spoke to him on Sunday, he was going in to Aston Villa to see their specialist. His scan was going to the surgeon on Monday to see if he needs operating on or not. Nick Fulton might know more than me right now."

The funeral of BBC Radio Devon presenter Gordon Sparks was held at Home Park this morning in what was an extremely moving and heart-warming ceremony, and the perfect send-off for a true Plymouth great. No one knew what to expect of the service to celebrate the Argyle legend, with the occasion believed to be the first stadium funeral ever held at Home Park. Come 10.30am when the gates to the ground were thrown open, a large queue of mourners were already waiting to take their seats in the Devonport End for the hour-long service. Hundreds of fans, friends and family rubbed shoulders with Argyle greats of past and present who had all come to pay their respects to the 'Voice of Argyle', while more than 5,000 people tuned in to watch the service online. As per Gordon's wishes, everyone attending arrived in Argyle colours, leaving the Devonport End of the stadium suitably swathed in a wave of green, white and black. Amongst the crowd, Steven Schumacher sat alongside former promotion winning manager Neil Warnock, chairman Simon Hallett and well-known ex-players like Ronnie Mauge, Chris Hargreaves and Gary Sawyer.

Sparksy arrived at the ground to the familiar sound of Semper Fidelis - a song that Argyle players have been coming onto the pitch to for years, and a song that translates to 'always faithful', a notion that very much represented Gordon and his ties to the club. The broadcaster received a lengthy round of applause from the packed stand as his coffin was carried along the goal line of the pitch. Walking behind him, his family each wore an Argyle shirt from his personal collection.

Several of Sparksy's close friends and colleagues read personal tributes during the service including Kevin Nancekivell, Chris Errington, Angela Kalwaites and Mark Grinnell. Gordon's wife Heather and daughter Holly paid their own touching tributes to a beloved husband and dad. "To many people here you were Sparksy, a football commentator, but to me you were my dad and someone far, far greater," read Holly. All touched on the 61-year-old's humour, kindness, generosity and his love of people. A sentiment that was reflected in the huge turnout of people who came to show their love for him. An ardent Status Quo fan, Gordon left the stadium, now permanently enscribed with his name in The Gordon Sparks Press Box, to the Quo's Rockin' All Over The World.

1st

Steven Schumacher reflected on a night of high emotion at Home Park as the greens pulled off the statement-making win against Exeter. He raved: "It was a bit of roller-coaster. It was not great conceding the first goal, not great going behind, but I'm relieved that it's over and pleased with how the lads responded to two moments of adversity. They responded straight away from the first goal and Bali produces an unbelievable strike to get us out a bit of a mess that we put ourselves into. When you have people with the quality we have got in the team, you've always got a chance. It was an unbelievable touch-and-finish from Morgan, Bali produces a worldie, and Ryan Hardie comes off the bench, doesn't moan, and looks a real threat when he gets on the pitch. The two chances that he had, he despatched them perfectly."

"When we have setbacks, it is important that nobody panics. The bench is quite calm, we figure out what has gone on. The players are not falling out with each other, they are not getting on each other's backs. They just have to work a bit harder to get back into the games. There are times where I have to be animated, to get messages to the players, but when there's 16,000 in the house it is hard. I always have headaches after games because I shout so loud! But if the players can see that we are calm on the sidelines, and we're not going crazy and falling out with them if they make a mistake, they understand that we back them and give them confidence to keep trying to play and do the right things. I'm really proud that I am a part of that. Hopefully it goes down in history – fingers crossed we make it ten."

On his own personal contribution from the bench, Ryan Hardie reflected: "It's one of the highlights of my career. To do it for the club with such a massive importance to the game. I am delighted to come on and get the goals, but the credit has to go to the boys that started the comeback. Everybody on the pitch put everything they had into the game. Bali scored a wonder goal and Morgan scored to get us back in the game. I'll take some of the credit, but it goes to the boys, all the management staff, and everybody around the place, from the fans to the owner: everybody. When I started on the bench, I just wanted to make sure I was ready to come on and make a positive impact. I think I did that! I feel like we never got started until they scored their goal. That kicked us into life a bit. Once they went 1-0 it took about minute and a half to get back into it; that got us going. It was a proper derby. Tackles, goals; the fans were brilliant. They kept us going for the full game. They pushed us over the line in the end.

"There were still ten minutes to go" Hardie said, "so we couldn't take our foot off the gas until the whistle because you don't know what can happen. If they nick a goal, there's only one in it. The feeling you get when you are running through on goal, and you hear the noise going 'ohhhhhh' – and then the celebrations. Brilliant. Morgs takes a lot of credit for his pass. He looked up, I took a touch, and it was just an instinctive finish into the roof of the net. When it went in, the nose was incredible, wasn't it? I'm so happy to get the win. The most important thing was three points and to keep the unbeaten run at home going. We don't really read too much into these things, we just take one game at a time. Getting that record is something we are very proud of. It's only another game – we need to keep going. I keep getting fined for my knee slides. I owe the groundsmen all the beer in the world! But I'll take it. If I can keep scoring goals, I'll keep buying them beer. No problem."

After his sublime equalising goal, Bali Mumba explained his thought process: "A lot of people are saying I shouldn't have shot, but as soon as Joe set it back, the only thing on my mind was to get it out of my feet and just hit it as hard as I can in the far corner. It was similar to Ipswich. I just took a touch and believed. I hit it with my laces, and I'm just thankful that it hit the back of the net. It was like slow motion, but seeing it hit the net I thought 'Oh, my God!'. The level it stayed at, because I laced it; sometimes it can go over the bar but it just stayed at the right height, and it was hard for the keeper to be at. Once they scored their second one there was just one thing in my mind, that was to run and attack their back three. It was 'just get me the ball and let me have a good go, and see where it takes me.' Exeter's second goal gave us the urgency to pick the tempo up. It paid off. We didn't stop believing. Our attitude was top. Everyone gave everything for the badge. We're glad to put smiles on everyone's faces. This is my first proper professional derby. It was incredible. I want more days like this, to experience what I experienced today, with the atmosphere and the noise. I didn't know it was a club record, but now that I have found out it is just another good thing to smile about. It shows the form we are on, the team spirit. Hopefully we keep going with the same momentum, attitude and belief. Every game, treat it the same, and fingers crossed things will go well for us. I just wanted to get the three points, no matter how scrappy it got. I can't really explain it, everyone saw for themselves: the fans, the atmosphere, just a great night. To get the win and stay top of the league is an even better feeling."

Diary Archive: