Tuesday 14th August had finally arrived when the
Pilgrims stepped onto the field for their first competitive game of the new
season. Rain poured onto the Home Park
playing field, seemingly not the weather that was hoped in the middle of
August. More like the beginning of the
winter season!!! The team sheets were in
with the starting line-up for the Pilgrims as followed: Goalkeeper-
Jake Cole, Defenders, Curtis Nelson, Darren Purse, Maxime Blanchard, Onismor
Bhasera, the midfield players - Johnny Gorman, Conor Hourihane, Paul Wooton and
Andres Gurrieri with Nick Chadwick and Matty LeCoite playing upfront. Portsmouth themselves fielding a youth squad
with only two recognised players, that have played league football before. I expect
most of the green army were expecting summer signing Rhys Griffiths from Port
Talbot to make his debut. But unfortunately
he was kept out of the starting 11 because of a thigh injury picked up in Monday’s
training session.
Both teams emerged from the tunnel with Argyle strolling out
with a new look captain. In this Darren
Purse had been given the captain armband with former skipper Simon Walton
moving up north because of family issues to persue his career in professional
football. Argyle started the first half
very quickly and professionally after kicking off the first half. Inside the first two minutes the greens were awarded
a free kick just outside the penalty box.
Both Paul Wotton and new boy Johnny Gorman were over the ball, but it
was Gorman to fire in the free kick. Non-league
goalkeeper and Pompey’s captain for the evening Simon Eastwood failed to catch
the greasy ball which resulted in Pompey conceding the first of many corners of
the game. Soon after Matty LeCointe
nearly made it 1-0, from good build up play by the midfield players the ball
made its way through to LeCointe who turned and fired towards the goal. A great save by Simon Eastwood to keep the
score 0-0 and to turn it away from a corner.
The young men from Portsmouth had
their first shot on target just inside the half hour mark. This came from Harris who left Bhasera struggling
to fire the shot across Jake Cole’s goal. Argyle had another corner when
Blanchard nicked it off Purses head who had the potential of powering it
into the back of the net. The greens
were pushing to break the Portsmouth defence.
The breakthrough came on the 45th minutes from a stunning pass
from veteran midfield Paul Wotton to Johnny Gorman, who was free to run at the
defenders, and fire the ball pass the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 to the greens. Was
it a pass or a strike on the goal?? Moments
after that stunning goal the forth official held up for the board to announce
there was two minutes added time. All
Argyle didn’t want was to concede straight after scoring the first. So they kept it solid until the half time
whistle was blown. The Pilgrims went
into the break 1 nil to the good.
Portsmouth were the first ones to appear after half time
whilst the Pilgrims were making the opposites wait a bit longer. There was a second
half substitution for Argyle with Andres Gurrieri coming off for Joe Lennox a
straight swap. Portsmouth re-started the
second half with them shooting towards the Barn Park End in front of their
fans. The Pilgrims started the opposite
of the first half. It took a long time
for the Pilgrims to get back into the game. Whilst Pompey came out of the
blocks very quickly passing the ball comfortably between themselves. In no
time at all Argyle were slowly but surely passing the ball quickly and
smoothly. Striker Nick Chadwick missed a
complete sitter when Midfielder Conor Hourihane passed the ball through to perfection,
all Chadders had to do was chip it over the goalkeeper. Somehow Chadwick chipped the ball marginally
wide of the right hand post in front of the Devonport Enders. With chants
ringing around Home Park ‘Chadders for England’. I think every single fan
thought it had made its way into the back of the green and white net. Soon
after that Fletcher made another substitution with goal scorer Johnny Gorman
making way for Luke Young. Portsmouth were
still pressuring the greens defence forcing Jake Cole to make some saves. Portsmouth had a great chance of equalising through
Webster but the ball went narrowly wide of the post. Final sub for Argyle
came when Paris Cowan Hall replaced Matty Lecointe. Minutes later he had made it 2-0 in the 85th
minute. Maxime Blachard had headed the
ball onto Paris who then placed it passed the goalkeeper. Exactly two minutes later Chadwick had made
up for his earlier mistake by getting onto Lennox cross to put it into the back
of the net. Off he went to celebrate
with the fans and his team mates.
All credit has to go to Portsmouth and their 750 travelling
fans. All the best!! We know what it feels like.
FANS RE-UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!! GREEN ARMY
See you all on Saturday for the game against Aldershot at
Home Park, kick-off 3pm.
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