Well, anyone looking at the score tonight would be forgiven for thinking this was a bit of a walk over. But, it was far from that and I'm still not sure how it got to that on the way the game went. Carlisle did a great immitation of Pompey in the first half with the exception of scoring. They played it around very well and passed us off the park. We couldn't seem to match them for passing and a lot of what we did just simply went astray. It was almost like watching the same match all over again. Then almost on Halftime Jervis got the ball on the left wing, cut inside and let one go. It was a peach of a shot and being right behind it me and mate could see it was going in all the way from boot to net. We were one nil up and to be honest Carlisle could feel well agrieved at that. They simply had overrun us in midfield. For some bizaar reason we sat off and they just moved into space and passed it through and around us. Boetang and Carey were never close enough to any of the players to break anything up and it was exactly the same on Saturday. Second half and Adams changed the formation. He went to 3 at the back and 5 in the middle. At last we had a chance of breaking up play and pressing them. Carlisle still tried to pass the ball around but were being challenged and harried, Carey was the main man for this and he ran his guts out doing it with a good deal of success. He robbed one of them and played a great ball through which was brilliant blocked by a defender for a corner. Corner taken and Reid bundled it in for 2 - 0. Carey then did another intrception but this time managed to find the net himself. 3 - 0. Once more soon after Carey again harried and won the ball in their half and played in Jervis for his second. Well won and well set up and well finished. Jervis certainly knows where the net is when given the chance. 4 - 0 and you had to wonder how Argyle had managed to score so many and keep a clean sheet. It's not as if Carlisle were a poor side. Argyle made a couple of sustitutions replacing Boetang who was limping and also Jervis who was doing the same. Argyle never really looked like adding to the score after that and with time running out Carlisle finally managed to get on the score sheet. Free kick out right whipped in and into the back of the net by somebody whose name I don't know. This was in extra time so there was never going to be a comeback from them like they had on Saturday. I'm not sure what to make of this result. Argyle were far from dominant and could have been a couple behind at halftime if Carlisle had been better at finishing. The second half was far better than the first and not only because Argyle scored more. I don't like this five at the back formation. We get overrun in midfield and fail to pick anyone up. The ball gets humped up the pitch to Reid who is NOT a lone striker and cannot play that roll well. 3 - 5 - 2 seems much better and I hope that Adams has taken this onboard. Much happier with tonights result.
Followed this game on the BBC....the stats didn't read well....Carlisle on top and where dominating play....and then we scored.....at half-time I felt we had robbed them of what should have been a lead for them for the control that they had shown in mid-field. Credit to Derek Adams and also I expect Craig Brewster who changed the formation for the second half.... bringing on Josh Simpson for Gregg Wylde and switching to 3-4-1-2....even though we where winning.....many would have kept the original system to maybe later in the second half. When Jake Jervis was first bought I wasn't over impressed.....he was only 23 yrs old yet he had moved 13 times....8 of them loans......you got the feeling that here was a rolling stone who gathered no moss because he was always on the move and never settled........but he has been a revelation not only does he play well he can score goals as well.....he was definately missed on Saturday......last night he played well in the first half when all around him things where not ticking over very well.....but still managed to lift Argyle just before half time with a well taken goal.With the change of formation at half time he was pushed up front to spearhead the attack with Reuben Reid and that helped Reid significantly and together they worked well. Graham Carey,Hiram Boateng and Josh Simpson took over the mid-field and controlled the match taking Carlisle's dominance in this area away. With Carl McHugh dropping back into a back three he became a different player and was far more comfortable than in mid-field.....a position he is still coming to terms with. Carey is full of running and Adams did well to get him to come to Home Park .....he is a match winner when running the show.....he was not doing well with the starting system that Adams deployed...but completely different in the second half. Good to see Simpson get some more match time.....it seems he isn't fully fit at present, so the word is.....I feel Adams will use him more when he regains full fitness after his injury.....Crawley didn't want to lose him...but he refused a new contract.....expect a lot more from him when he is up to speed. Goals can cover up a multitude of failures and completely change the end result of a game.....that showed last night....but remember Adams had a plan B and it completely changed the game........he of course has brought in the players to do that....and they are ours....not loanees.....Boateng and Tanner are our loanees at present until the new year and can do well here gaining experience.....and we still have space for one more loanee....Adams will have more idea by know what sought of player he needs.....Boateng is the player we will miss most come January.....but that's down the road a little at present.
After the scoreline last night I thought there would at least be a few comments on here. Have you all gone on holiday? Did anyone see the goals on the local news tonight? Is there anyone still out there?
I did plym but thought a couple of others might say how wonderful they feel as well. Guess it's just you and me then.......
Yes Sensible, I returned from a month in the sun yesterday and caught up with all the goals from the links on Pasoti, we've scored some beauties already by the looks of it, I agree with your assessment of the first penalty versus Portsmouth, a shocker. Keep the match reports coming please. 6 points from 9 has to go down as a respectable start to the campaign surely? A tough match on Saturday I feel and a point would be fine.
A month in the sun Essex?? Us poor pensioner people have to wait until December and it gets cheap to do that. It is a respectable start and if the god of fair refereeing was around in the right place it could have been even more respectable if not necessarily deserved on play. We have shown what we can do and the football so far has been better than before so I'll give Adams credit for that. A plan B also shows signs of being around. I can't see us struggling but how good we will become is still up for question I think. The only average goal we have scored so far was Reid's bundle in, the rest have been crackers.
