Sat 7th Oct
Kick-off 15:00

PLY Argyle

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SWA Swansea

Swansea City preview

Sync Fixtures

The Game 
Argyle v Swansea City. Home Park. Saturday, 7 October. 3pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Swansea failed to win any of their first seven games of the Championship season - but they have won their last three. 

After draws with Birmingham City, Coventry City and Queens Park Rangers, and losses against West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End, Bristol City and rivals Cardiff City, Swansea's luck changed at home to struggling Sheffield Wednesday, whom they beat 3-0. 

That was followed by a 3-0 win at Millwall and then, on Wednesday night, a 2-1 win against Norwich City. 

The Gaffer
Michael Duff took over at Swansea in the summer, following Russell Martin's departure to Southampton. 

Michael Duff

As a player, Duff had an extraordinary career. He moved up through several divisions with first club Cheltenham Town, from the Southern Premier Division up to League One, playing over 300 times.

He moved to Burnley, and played for them for over a decade, mostly in the Championship, but did spend two non-consecutive seasons with the Clarets in the Premier League. He played 383 times for Burnley, and also won 24 caps for Northern Ireland. 

His first managerial job was back at Cheltenham, with whom he won the League Two title in 2020/21. In 2021/22 Cheltenham finished 15th in League Two, their highest ever finish, but Duff departed to Barnsley in the summer. Last season, his only one with the Tykes, he guided them to the play-off final, which they lost in extra-time to Sheffield Wednesday. 

The Squad
Jamal Lowe (below) has scored in each of the last three games, all of which Swansea have won. Currently on loan from Bournemouth, Lowe's story is an interesting one. He was 23 and playing for Hemel Hempstead when spotted by Portsmouth, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons before moving to Wigan Athletic. He moved to Swansea in 2020, and scored 14 goals in a single season, before being picked up by Bournemouth. With the Cherries, though, he found a starting berth hard to come by, and the second half of last season at QPR, and is now back at the Swans. 

Jamal Lowe

Lowe is the joint top goalscorer with Jerry Yates. Yates signed for around £2.5m from Blackpool in the summer. Another player who was at Blackpool last season was Charlie Patino. The 19-year-old Arsenal man was borrowed to the Seasiders last term, and now is on loan at Swansea. He thought to be a huge prospect for the Gunners. 

Fancy a Stat?
The last time Argyle, Morgan Whittaker scored a hat-trick. It was, however, for Swansea, as they won 4-1 in the Carabao Cup. 

Morgan Whittaker scoring for Swansea

The History
Argyle have played Swansea 95 times. The Greens have won 36 of those encounters, 19 have been draws, and Swansea have won the other 40. 

The last league meetings between the sides were in the 2009/10 season. Swansea won 1-0 at home, before a 1-1 draw at Home Park later in the season. 

Tickets
If you have a season ticket and cannot attend, you can make your ticket available via the Ticket Exchange and receive face value credit if your ticket is resold. Find out more about the Ticket Exchange.

Argyle TV
Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by Erin Black and Ian Stonebridge, will begin at 6.45pm, and is available to watch for free on YouTube.

Commentary for the game will be provided by Charlie Price and Katie Middleton.

Domestic supporters can listen to audio commentary on Argyle TV, while international supporters can buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

Kick it Out
Saturday's game will be our Kick It Out dedicated fixture with various activity taking place to ensure football continues to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment. 

Kick It Out will be celebrating their 30th anniversary and this weekend's game will mark that milestone and the work the organisation has already done, but also continues to do.

We ask the Green Army to support all activity throughout the day and ensure Home Park is a welcoming environment for everyone in attendance. 

All kits on sale

Ryan Hardie v Swansea

Argyle 1
Cundle 18

Swansea City 3
Yates 56
Cooper 68
Key 90

Argyle suffered their second successive home defeat in a frustrating week, as Swansea turned the game around with a clinical second-half display.

The Greens were on the right course when Luke Cundle almost broke the net on 18 minutes and Argyle had plenty more to offer in a positive first period.

Momentum shifted full circle on 56 minutes, Jerry Yates levelling from close range, and substitute Ollie Cooper gave Swansea the lead with a rasper from distance. It was game over when Josh Key added a third in the final minute.

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher made four changes from the midweek loss to Millwall, with Macaulay Gillepshey, Matt Butcher, Joe Edwards and Cundle replacing Mickel Miller, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Adam Randell and Finn Azaz.

Bathed in autumn Home Park sunshine, the Green Army gave a collective ooh inside five minutes, as a deep corner picked out the late run of Edwards, who beat goalkeeper Carl Rushworth with his header but credit to Liam Cullen for a desperate clearance off the line.

The Swans opened their attacking account with a deft backheel from Yates, comfortably saved by Conor Hazard. After picking up three successive wins, the visitors looked understandably confident, and a delightful move culminated in an inviting cross from Josh Tymon but Gillesphey was in the right place to clear.

After a quiet period in the game, Argyle took control with a lovely pass from Morgan Whittaker sending Edwards down the wing. The skipper fed Ryan Hardie and his cutback found a way to Cundle, who rifled an emphatic finish beyond the stranded Rushworth.

The Greens settled back into a steady rhythm and a defensive shape that was frustrating for the Swans, although they did find a gap just before the half-hour, creating room for Cullen to strike low to the corner but Hazard used his full wingspan for a superb tip around the post.

The response was immediate from Argyle, Hardie forcing a top save from Rushworth before his rebound was blocked by Harry Darling. Back to the Swans, and the lively Yates found room for a shot but Dan Scarr judged his block to perfection.

The second half opened with a great chance for Argyle. Whittaker and Hardie combined nicely, and the number nine had a pop on goal but Rushworth saved well. However, in general, it was the Swans looking brighter after the restart.

The Greens did have their moments, Bali Mumba breaking quickly for another shot blocked by the Swansea defence but the visitors were level moments later. Charlie Patino clipped a cross to the far post, Cullen kept the ball alive and Yates forced it over the line.

Argyle came back with a corner that caused mayhem. Gillesphey recycled the ball back into the danger area and Rushworth somehow denied Mumba with yet another top save.

The Greens made a couple of changes, Azaz and Miller replacing Cundle and Mumba, but it was a Swansea substitute who made the next big impact, Cooper picking up the ball in midfield, striding forward and lashing a tremendous strike into the bottom corner.

A lovely cross from Miller just needed a final touch, as Argyle sought a way back into the game, and Hardie was next to have a dig, but comfortable for Rushworth. Kesler-Hayden and Mustapha Bundu came on for Butcher and Pleguzuelo in the next roll of the dice.

Argyle remained patient in their approach, working the ball cleverly out to Bundu for a fizzing cross that just evaded the onrushing forwards, as Ben Waine replaced Hardie in the final change.

After Hazard gobbled up a Darling header from a corner, Miller delivered a cross for Edwards at the other end, but the nod was just too high. Sadly for Argyle, the game was up from the next attack, Key sealing a frustrating defeat at Home Park.

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 2 Bali Mumba (14 Mickel Miller 66), 3 Macaulay Gillepshey, 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo (15 Mustapha Bundu 76), 6 Dan Scarr, 7 Matt Butcher (29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden 76), 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine 83), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 28 Luke Cundle (18 Finn Azaz 66). Substitutes (not used): 25 Callum Burton, 16 Lewis Warrington, 20 Adam Randell.

Booked: Whittaker 55, Kesler-Hayden 79

Swansea City: 22 Carl Rushworth, 2 Josh Key, 6 Harry Darling, 8 Matt Grimes (capt), 9 Jerry Yates (28 Liam Walsh 86), 10 Jamal Lowe (30 Harrison Ashby 90+1), 12 Jamie Paterson (19 Mykola Kukharevych 90+1), 14 Josh Tymon, 18 Charlie Patino (4 Jay Fulton 67), 20 Liam Cullen (21 Ollie Cooper 67), 33 Bashir Humphreys. Substitutes (not used): 1 Andy Fisher (gk), 21 Nathan Tjoe-a-On, 26 Kyle Naughton, 45 Cameron Congreve.

Booked:  

Referee: Lewis Smith

Attendance: 16,463 (1,614 away)