No result in eight games for Plymouth Argyle has left manager John Sheridan under much pressure to deliever, as his squad travel to newly promoted Mansfield Town, hoping for the luck to change.
Following a run of poor results for the Westcountry club is it time for the Pilgrims to come back with all three points?
In a much newer formation to the Argyle fans, a rearranged 3-5-2 forming has abled the Pilgrims to make advantage of the extra man in midfield. John Sheridan's men however have found it diffult to hit the back to the net to move up the table as Plymouth sit in 19th position with the last victory coming on 7th September in a 1-0 over Bristol Rovers. However for Mansfield Town they sit in 7th place the last position of the automatic play-off place. they have been seen to play the traditional 4-4-2 formation having the extra man in defence preferred to Argyle's three central defenders at the back.
After Tuesday nights goalless draw at Home Park against one of the promoted sides Newport County, from the conference national last season, season 2012-13, manager John Sheridan was eager to discuss his dcision to attract another striker to Devon with only three currently fit these are Paul Hayes, Reuben Reid and Tyler Harvey. This was made following the lack of goals that have been scored by Plymouth Argyle in recent fixtures.
Newports lastest game in League Two came on Tuesday night against Bury, who have recently sacked Kevin Blackwell. The fixture also finished in a goalless draw with the visitors going down to 10men. John Dempster was given a straight red and will miss the next three fixtures the first one being against Argyle.
John Sheridan will still be without two of his senior players for the trip to Mansfield Town on Saturday. Marvin Morgan has undergone an shoulder operation that will see the former Shrewsbury player out of action until after the Christmas season. Matt LeCointe is out for the whole season as he suffered a Cruciate Knee Ligement injury as he collided with Ollie Chenoweth in pre-season. Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox will be without three defenders as they welcome Plymouth to The Field Mill Stadium. John Dempster and James Jennings will both be missing the fixture through suspension while Matt Riley will be ruled out through an achillies injury suffered in the previous fixture against Bury.
Available:- Jake Cole, Luke McCormick, Curtis Nelson, Maxime Blanchard, Jamie Richards, Neal Trotman, Guy Branston, Paul Wotton, Durrell Berry, Andre Blackman, Jamie Reckord, Ben Purrington, Andres Gurrieri, Conor Hourihane, Dominic Blizzard, Romuald Boco, Hamza Bencherif, Luke Young, Ryan Lane, Lewis Alessandra, Reuben Reid, Tyler Harvey, Isaac Vassell, Paul Hayes.
Unavailable: - Matt LeCointe (knee injury), Marvin Morgan (shoulder injury), Nick Chadwick (on loan to Tamworth until January 2014)
Friday, 25 October 2013
Friday, 18 October 2013
SkyBet League Two - Hartlepool vs Plymouth Argyle - Match Preview
In the
middle of the winter season, October in fact, Plymouth Argyle will travel to
Hartlepool, their longest away fixture in League Two this season, a round trip
of 775.6 miles.
A result that can go any way for
either team on Saturday, it’s sure to be an exciting encounter for the League
Two squads. The Pilgrims who are placed
in 19th position on 11 points and can move ahead of Hartlepool if they are
victories in the North West. Hartlepool
however are in 16th position and on 12 points.
The pools have made great progress from the start of the season when
they were unable to score and keep a clean-sheet, the team are now three games
unbeaten coming into this fixture with Plymouth Argyle.
Manager John Sheridan and first
team coach Gary Owers will be putting their faith into the players when the two
decide the formation of the game. Last Saturday’s
Dockyard Derby saw Argyle revert to a 3-5-2 formation, having an extra man in
midfield. Having only played the set –up
for part of the game against Swindon the foundation worked very well against
Portsmouth and Argyle deserved a goal. The
ball hit the back of the net in front of the SkySports cameras when Conor
Hourihane gave the Pilgrims a merited lead.
Following an energy to their progression and fight from the Pompey
players Jed Wallace equalised with a well taken goal, with the ball fling past
on rushing goalkeeper Luke McCormick and into the back of the net. The first dockyard derby in more than 20years
finished in a 1-1 draw, a well-deserved point for both teams. Following
Exeter City’s 3-1 demolishing to Argyle two week previously City welcomed
Hartlepool to St James Park last Saturday there second home game in as many
weeks. Goals from Jack Baldwin, Luke
James and Jack Crompton earned the Poole’s all three points and there third victory
in a row.
An Argyle legend to the Green
Army, Simon Walton will compete against the Devon club, for the first time
since leaving the Pilgrims in summer 2012.
Leeds born and breed Walton had a torrid time for the first part of this
contract but fittingly turned that around when it mattered at the lowest point
in the clubs history whilst the club were fighting administration. A leader in the
heart of the midfielder with now captain Conor Hourihane, Walton lead the side
and fought off the threat of a third success victory. Simon Walton left the Pilgrims at the start
of the 2012-13 season of a course of personal reasons. He is now in his second season with
Hartlepool.
Signed by John Sheridan in the
summer of 2012, Marvin Morgan, is to undergo a shoulder operation and will be
out of action for some time. The striker
fell awkwardly in Argyles last victory, a 1-0 win at Home Park against Bristol
Rovers on September 7th. Another
absentee to the Plymouth Argyle squad will be striker Nick Chadwick, the former
Everton players signed on loan to Skrill Conference club Tamworth until January
1st 2014. Chadwick has not played under
Sheridan from the last fixture of last season and has seemly fell out of favour
at Home Park. John Sheridan will also
nurse injuries to Guy Branston and Paul Wotton two very experienced central
defenders who are suffering with slight ankle and back injuries. Manager Colin Cooper will welcome back Steve
Howard from his ban. Midfielders Johnathon
Franks, Anthony Sweeney and defender and Jordan Richards are all pushing for a
place in the starting 11 come 3pm on Saturday afternoon at Victoria Park.
Available: - Jake Cole, Luke McCormick, Curtis
Nelson, Maxime Blanchard, Jamie Richards, Neal Trotman, Durrell Berry, Andre
Blackman, Jamie Reckord, Ben Purrington, Andres Gurrieri, Conor Hourihane,
Romuald Boco, Hamza Bencherif, Luke Young, Ryan Lane, Lewis Alessandra, Reuben Reid, Tyler
Harvey, Isaac Vassell, Paul Hayes
Doubtful: - Guy Branston (knock on the ankle),
Paul Wotton (back injury), Dominic Blizzard (virus)
Unavailable: - Matt LeCointe (knee injury), Marvin
Morgan (require a shoulder operation), Nick Chadwick (on loan at Tamworth until
January)
Friday, 11 October 2013
SkyBet League Two - Plymouth Argyle vs Portsmouth - Match Preview
Battle of
the Ports is the main focal point on Sky Sports, Saturday Lunchtime, when
Plymouth Argyle welcome Portsmouth to Home Park in a 12:15pm kick-off. Let’s see who can win the Dockyard
Derby.
No win in
four matches for the Pilgrims, Portsmouth are searching for their third
successive victory, the match at Home Park. Just two places between the two
sides in SkyBet League Two it is all to play for in front of the nation.
Not meeting
in the League since January 1st 1992 at Home Park Plymouth Argyle
won the Derby 3-2 in Division Two. The club
have risen and fallen heavily since that meeting. Three years ago Portsmouth were competing
against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal and now competing
against Oxford and Hartlepool. This time
three years ago Plymouth Argyle were challenging for a play-off spot in the Championship
and now sit 17th in SkyBet League Two.
Since 1992,
Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth have had very troubling years which are behind the
two clubs. Portsmouth were the first
premier league club to go into administration in 2010 and were deducted 9points
of a subsequence of that. Following several
months of Portsmouth not paying their players, they were in £135million (estimate)
of debt and manager at the time Avram Grant was forced to sell many of his top
earners at the club at that time. On the 1st June 2011 Portsmouth
exited administrated with Convers Sports Initiatives owned by
Russian Vladimir Antonov completing the takeover of the club. Portsmouth
still in administration Plymouth Argyle entered administration on 4th
March 2011 with former Chairman Paul Stapleton issuing a statement ‘best thing
for club’. Following much discussion of the new owner James Brent had saved the
Pilgrims from Liquidation after being named by Argyle administrator Brendan
Guilfoyle, who threatened to quit, in October 2011. It’s bad enough to enter administration once
but twice, yes twice, Portsmouth were put into administration once again on 17th
February 2012, twice in two years. This was
just after there then owner Vladimir Antonov was arrested and bailed for alleged asset
stripping at a Lithuanian bank. As a
result of entering administration Pompey were deducted 10points with a debt
estimated to be £58million. On 19th
April Portsmouth exited administration with the supporters group agreeing to
buy the club following two successive relegations.
John
Sheridan is look set to hand Brentford Loanee Paul Hayes his Home Park debut in
front of the Sky Sports cameras. The
striker joined Argyle last Saturday and has participated in both games since, a
3-1 defeat to Exeter City last Saturday and a 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town on
Tuesday evening in the Johnstone Paint Trophy.
One striker who is doubtful for the clash is striker Marvin Morgan, the
30year old has a back problem. Guy
Branston, Paul Wotton and Lewis Alessandra are among the players who are set to
be named straight back into the squad following the players having no input in
Tuesday’s defeat. Former Argyle central
defender Bondz N’Gala is set to return to Home Park for the first time since
departing, when Portsmouth are the visitors to Devon. The West Ham apprentice
ended his contract in 2011 by natural consent.
Before his move to Fratton Park the 23year old has had spells at Yeovil,
Stevenage and a loan spell at Barnet.
Portsmouth manager Guy Whittingham is without David Connelly for the
trip through a calf injury. Tom Craddock
and Danny East remain doubtful through a knee injury and a hamstring
strain.
Available: - Jake Cole, Luke McCormick, Guy Branston, Curtis Nelson, Paul Wotton, Maxime Blanchard, Jamie Richards, Neal Trotman, Durrell Berry, Andre Blackman, Jamie Reckord, Ben Purrington, Andres Gurrieri, Conor Hourihane, Romuald Boco, Dominic Blizzard, Hamza Bencherif, Luke Young, Ryan Lane, Lewis Alessandra, Reuben Reid, Tyler Harvey, Isaac Vassell, Nick Chadwick, Paul Hayes
Doubtful: - Marvin Morgan (back injury)
Unavailable: - Matt LeCointe (knee injury)
Friday, 4 October 2013
SkyBet League Two - Exeter City vs Plymouth Argyle - Match Preview
The first of
the Devon Derby’s is set to take place at St James Park on Saturday in a 1pm
kick-off when Exeter City meet their main rivals Plymouth Argyle.
John
Sheridan will take his Pilgrims side to St James Park, experiencing this for
the second time with the first coming at Home Park last season, in the 1-0
victory for Argyle. Not far behind
Arsene Wenger Paul Tisdale is one of the longest serving managers in all four
divisions and will be looking for revenge from the defeat at Home Park last
season.
The last
encounter between Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle at St James Park took place
on 15th December 2012. Not did
we know that it was to be Carl Fletchers last involvement in a Devon Derby
following the dismissal of him as manager in January 2013. After a defensive mistake from Zimbabwe
International and former Pilgrim Onismor Bhasera Exeter City were on their way
to victory following Liam Sercombe gave the home side a 1-0 lead in the 34th
minute. In the second half it wasn’t so
easy for the Grecians with Argyle pilling pressure on them. This finally paid off when former Argyle
winger Joe Lennox scored a spectacular goal in front of the green army which
levelled the game 1-1. Both set of fans
went home happy taking one point each after a 1-1 draw.
The return fixture at Home Park saw John Sheridan
take charge of his first Devon Derby in front of over 13,000 fans on 30th
March 2013. Formally on-loan to the
Pilgrims from Crystal Palace Jason Banton won the game in added time in the
first half putting Argyle 1-0 to the good.
The game will always be remembered for Banton’s shirt saying ‘Keep Calm and
Pass to Banton’.
Signed from
Brentford on a one month’s loan deal, Paul Hayes a 30 year old striker is set
to take some part in the Devon Derby on Saturday. The striker was signed by John Sheridan on
Friday after the Pilgrims haven’t scored any goals in their last three fixtures. The manager is also set to make many changes
to the squad when the Pilgrims visit Exeter. Durrell Berry is set to be included in the
Argyle squad after being absent for last Saturdays goalless draw against
Accrington Stanley at Home Park due to illness. Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale
will give late fitness tests to John O’Flynn and striker John Parkin late
fitness tests who are both struggling to overcome hamstring injuries. Former Pilgrim Alan Gow is look set to
partner Jamie Reid up front.
Apprenticeships Jake Gosling and Aaron Dawson are in contention for the
Devon Derby on Saturday.
Available: - Jake Cole, Luke McCormick, Guy
Branston, Curtis Nelson, Paul Wotton, Maxime Blanchard, Jamie Richards, Neal
Trotman, Durrell Berry, Andre Blackman, Jamie Reckord, Ben Purrington, Andres
Gurrieri, Conor Hourihane, Romuald Boco, Dominic Blizzard,
Hamza Bencherif, Luke
Young, Ryan Lane, Lewis Alessandra, Reuben Reid, Marvin Morgan, Tyler Harvey,
Isaac Vassell, Nick Chadwick, Paul Hayes
Unavailable: - Matt LeCointe (knee injury),
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