Plymouth ARGYLE vs Chesterfield - Match Report

In a game which saw Argyle dominating for large parts of the encounter, Carl Fletchers men dropped to 20^th place in Npower League 2 after Chesterfields Marc Richards scored the only goal at Home Park in the 66^th minute.   

Argyle manager had made one change to the side that had lost 1-0 at Bradford on the Tuesday.  Mark Molesley signed on loan from AFC Bournemouth on Thursday evening, as an emergency loan signing, made his Argyle debut in central midfield alongside Captain Conor Hourihane.  The player to make way was former Chesterfield midfielder Jamie Lowry.  The Cornish born player spent nine seasons at the Proact Stadium in Derbyshire.  However for Chesterfield, they were unchanged from their 4-1 win against Cheltenham.  There was also one well known player on the Chesterfields substitute bench.  This player is Portuguese international midfielder Luis Boa Morte.  A premier league winner, a championships winner and a 2006 world cup player signed for the Derbyshire club initially until the end of January.    

Argyle emerged from the tunnel with a new look captain leading the team out onto the Home Park pitch.  Midfielder Conor Hourihane was awarded the captains armband for the second game running. The first time the Irish born player was captain was during the 5day tour of Yorkshire in the second game against Bradford.  The first half was underway with the Pilgrims shooting towards the Devonport End.  It didn’t take long before Argyle were passing the football around keeping the possession extremely well.  Not long after first half had got underway Argyle had their first shot of many goal attempts.  Paris Cowan-Hall and Andres Gurrieri had very good games playing left and right wing prompted Tommy Lee into two fine saves.  Alex MacDonald played his heart out again in an Argyle shirt.  The on loan Burnley forward was exceptionally close to putting a smile back on faces around Home Park after a low cross from Cowan-Hall, the ball eventually went out for Argyles 1^st corner of many to come in the first half, after some desperate defending from Chesterfield.  With chesterfield in fine form in recent weeks, Argyle were expecting a tough encounter at Home Park.  Brennan Dickenson was very close to giving the visiting team the lead when he turned his man Curtis Nelson, in the penalty box, he lost part of his balance and shot wide in front of their fans situated high up in the Barn Park End sheltering from the horrendous weather.  The men in green were forceful when passing comfortably around the penalty box.  From this pressure Argyle were presented with corner after corner.  Many of the corners taken from Alex MacDonald were vastly high and over kicked for his teammates to touch home the opening goal of the game in torrential rain in Devon.  Mark Molesley was an outstanding talent in the first half as his forceful runs through the Chesterfields midfielders.  The debutant nearly assisted a goal when he supplied a perfect ball into the box.  Winger Paris Cowan-Hall nodded it towards Nick Chadwick. It was a free header for Chadwick as the fans waited patiently to watch as the ball drifted wide of the near post.   The referee blew for half time after an additional 1minute of added time.  The scores stand at 0-0, but Argyle should be ahead after some great chances. 

During the first half Chesterfield were struggling to get into the game.  Their manager Paul Cook made a reinforced change that would change the whole aspect of the next 45minutes to come. Former premier league player Louis Boa Morte was a half time substitute for Brennan Dickenson.  From this substitution Chesterfield were a different team, Argyle were struggling to start the way they were playing in the first half.  Soon after Argyle found there feet again with both Paris Cowan-Hall and Andres Gurrieri delivering extraordinary crosses into the penalty box.  Alex MacDonald was again running at the defenders, after good work from Durrell Berry, he then unleashed a shoot that went over the bar.  Berry the deliver for Macca’s shot was then beaten by Boa Morte who shot goal bounds; Gilmartin was at full length to stop the shot.  Chesterfield were going for all three point when they made their second substitution of the afternoon. Their longest serving player since 2007, striker Jack Chester was about to come on for Danny Whitaker. Minutes after his introduction to the game he was involved in the only goal of the game.  Boa Morte was the provided for the goal with a cross, Jack Lester knocked it down towards Richards’s who’s shot powered into the back of the net in the 66^th minute. Plymouth Argyle had an instant response with MacDonald shooting from long range.  His effort was narrowly passed the post.  Captain Conor Hourihane then headed over the cross bar.  Manager Carl Fletcher went for a triple substitution bringing on Rhys Griffiths, who returned from injury, Guy Madjo and former Bristol City winger Joe Lennox.  The substitutes replaced Paris Cowan-Hall. Nick Chadwick and Andres Gurrieri.  Argyle were eager for an equalizer and so they attacked repeatedly with Rhys Griffiths receiving the ball to hold it up.  Joe Lennox asked all sorts of problems down the wings, and when his cross was blocked inside the penalty box by the outstretched arms of Smith, penalty appeals were asked by the players, but the referee, linesman and forth official weren’t having any of it. So it finished 1-0 to Chesterfield. 

 

A brilliant performance from Plymouth Argyle who deserved much more than what they got.                  

                  

Argyle (4-5-1): 20 Rene Gilmartin; 2 Durrell Berry, 17 Curtis Nelson, 4 Maxime Blanchard, 14 Onismor Bhasera; 7 Paris Cowan-Hall (18 Guy Madjo 75), 30 Mark Molesley, 32 Alex MacDonald, 6 Conor Hourihane (capt), 27 Andres Gurrierri (19 Joe Lennox 75); 9 Nick Chadwick (10 Rhys Griffiths 73). Substitutes (not used): 1 Jake Cole (gk), 16 Jamie Lowry, 23 Jamie Richards, 29 Tyler Harvey.

Booked: Molesley 61.

Chesterfield (4-4-2): 1 Tommy Lee; 25 Drew Talbot, 6 Sam Hird (capt), 31 Liam Cooper, 3 Nathan Smith; 17 Chris Atkinson, 8 Sam Togwell, 12 Tendayi Darikwa, 10 Danny Whitaker (14 Jack Lester 61); 38 Brennan Dickenson (37 Luis Boa Morte h-t), 9 Marc Richards (15 Craig Clay 82). Substitutes (not used): 4 Terrell Forbes, 13 Richard O'Donnell (gk), 33 Conor Townsend, 34 Jay O'Shea.

Booked: Whitaker 52, Hird 71, Lester 90.

Referee: Phil Gibbs.

Attendance: 5,711 (261 away).