Derek's Bliss

Substitute Nathan Blissett scored a second-half equaliser at Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday to earn Argyle a valuable Sky Bet League Two point from a 1-1 draw, three days after the Pilgrims won 2-0 at Mansfield Town. 

The result keeps Argyle four points ahead of third-placed promotion rivals Portsmouth and ten away from the play-off pack, with just nine matches of the 2016-17 campaign to play.

“I’m delighted,” said Derek, after taking charge of his 100th Argyle game. “To go to two difficult venues is a tough ask and we’ve come away with four points. We’ve got to be really happy with that. 

“We went to Luton, as well, and took a point, so, on our travels, we keep on doing well and we’re happy with that.”

Argyle were slow out of the blocks and went behind to Myles Weston’s 18th-minute goal but they were a different side after half-time and deservedly equalised when Nathan headed home a Jake Jervis corner less than two minutes after coming off the bench midway through the second half.

Derek said: “It’s a difficult venue to come to at the best of times and to go 1-0 down...we were disappointed at that because I thought that Wycombe started the game better than us. In the first half, they probably shaded it.

“In the second half, we get our goal and then have a lot of impetus going forward. We created a lot of chances in the second half without being able to get that killer second.”

Derek was also pleased that Nathan, who joined the Pilgrims from Torquay United in the January transfer-window, managed to get himself on the scoresheet for his new club for the first time after patience from both player and manager.

He said: “For Nathan Blissett to score the equaliser was fantastic because he’s come in here and he’s going to be a big player between now and the end of the season. He gained in confidence after the goal and he got himself in good areas in and around the box. 

“He’s been one that we’ve worked on in training and given him the right time to get that opportunity.

“It was up to me, as a manger, to try to bed him in and take my time. I could have thrown him in earlier, but he wasn’t ready. Fitness-wise, he’s improving, because the way we train and the way we play is different from a lot of clubs.

“When we scored, there was a change in the tide and we went and tried to get that second goal. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that goal but if you’d asked before the game if I would have taken a point, I would have because we’re away from home.

“It’s a great point. You can’t win every game away from home. We’d love to, but when you are 1-0 down and coming to a team that are trying to get into the play-off places, at some time in the game you have got to take a point.”