Struggling Harlepool gave Argyle a hard game.....league positions suggested that this should have been an away win......and in the end it was. The win was so important for an Argyle team struggling for confidence and trying to play with major performers still out injured.....the return of McCormick would have brought back the missing link in what was a dominate defence in this Division.....he was rarely troubled...beaten yet again from the penalty spot......you have to go back to the days of Paul Sturrock before he left for Southampton to find a penalty save from McCormick. Kelvin Mellor gave the penalty away... caught the wrong side of his opponent and brought him down....no argument really.....the annoying thing was that the Hartlepool player would not of got to the ball anyway.....confirmed by Adams comments after the game, The villian turned to being the hero in the 90th minute when he got on the end of a ball that went across the penalty area to him completely unmarked for the winner. Argyle had opened the scoring in the 76th minute when another defender McHugh opened the scoring only for Fenwick who was the victim of Mellor's tackle to equalize from the spot. Although Hartlepool could be seen as poor opposition (now 4th from bottom) and also having played a hard game mid-week... that had gone into overtime.....it still needed an out of sorts Argyle to win the game to reverse their poor run of form.... and to raise the the cloud of despondency that had decended over an injury hit team struggling for consistency. Game of two halfs this one ....because of the wind favouring the home team in the first half.....Argyle went in at 0-0 and then benefitted from the wind in the second period.....Other than Mellor's red mist moment the defence had done well and I would think felt more confident with McCormick behind them. Mid-field not so apparent... and up front Brunt put in a hard shift as usual.....but it was the defence that found the two goals to paper over the cracks that where evident lately from mid-field and from our attack. The win not only brought three points but move us back to the top of the league because of Northampton's run of winning form coming to an end ....at home to Portsmouth 1-2......Portsmouth's form is improving and they are becoming a potential promotion threat.....only beaten twice and starting to turn draws into three points..........Oxford lost their third game of the season at Wycombe W... 2-1.. so we where the only top three team to win, So top at Christmas is possibly more than we expected before Saturday.....and with a home game against struggling Yeovil on Boxing Day....we have the possibility of being top into the New Year. Lets hope the confidence gained from our longest away game of the season lifts the team into a good home performance that we haven't seen for awhile.
One of my former Saudi mates a Hartlepool fan and would have been at the match...bet he's cursing me right now.Thought we might get a point at best but this hopefully now will steer us through the busy Xmas period.
I was listening on the radio yesterday and they kept switching back to the studio so obviously not on the right band. Didn't listen to all of it though. I will not repeat what I said or rather nearly screamed when Mellor committed his foul. I had just got through telling her indoors about Argyle not getting a pen all season when balls for brains gave one away. I went off on one telling her how he has done this before and how it might become normal practice. 1 - 1 and I did think it was all over. The bleddy radio went back to the studio with about a minute to go and they started talking about all manor of scorelines. They missed the winner and I had to sort of guess at it when they went back because all the bloke in the studio said was there was another goal at the ground. Sparksie was chuntering on about something and then added Argyle have to hold on to the lead this time. Punched the air and prayed for the whistle. I would not add Hero to the villain tag Mellor was on because he could easily have cost the team top spot. Somebody need to teach the supposed fullback how to tackle. Can't argue with No.1 at Christmas no matter what or how they have been recently. Quite looking forward to Yeovil on Boxing Day now.
I know Sensible maybe just maybe. ...saw some highlights on GOS and better than Swansea v West Ham today as totally boring! COYG.
