Grimshaw looks ahead to Watford test

Dan Grimshaw’s first game for Argyle did not start the way he would have wanted it to.  

Signed from Blackpool, the goalkeeper was given his debut for the Pilgrims in a Carabao Cup tie at Watford in late August, but on 17 minutes allowed a shot to trickle through his fingers, giving the Hornets the lead.  

Watford would ultimately win the game 2-0, and Argyle exited the competition, but any Argyle fans who had doubts about their new goalkeeper following his error for the first goal would have their minds changed by the conclusion of the game.  

Although his new side lost, Grimshaw made several excellent saves to redeem himself, and in the subsequent months, playing 12 times, he has shown himself to be extremely capable, from saves with his hands to distribution with his feet. 

Speaking ahead of Friday night’s league meeting with Watford at Home Park, Grimshaw told Argyle TV that although making a mistake on his debut was far from ideal, he was content with how he dealt with the setback.  

“I remember looking forward to the game, but it didn’t start off great,” he said. “Everyone was probably thinking: ‘who have we signed here?!’ It’s one of those things. It’s going to happen again at some point, I wish I could say it wouldn’t.  

“But whether things are going well or going badly, I don’t really change the way I am. I am quite level-headed, so I do what I need to at the right time.  

“It was probably the worst time for it to happen; it’s your debut, you want to do well and impress, but I don’t think about it, and it doesn’t faze me, because it happens. It’s part of life.  

“I’ve enjoyed [life at Argyle]. I think I’m playing well at the moment, but I’m not ready to sit and act like I’ve cracked football.  

“If we keep a clean sheet, we know we’ve got a greater chance of winning the game. It’s something we want to try to get for the whole team, not just me and the defenders. It’s something we get as a team.” 

Watford visit Devon on Friday in sixth place, well in the mix for a play-off place, but with inconsistent form which contrasts from home to away. It is a little like Argyle’s but amplified. In all competitions, Watford have played nine times at home, winning eight games and drawing one. On their travels, Tom Cleverley’s team have lost seven of nine, winning the other two.  

The Greens have also struggled on the road, but have lost just once in eight games at Home Park, and Grimshaw hopes that Argyle can focus on this positive to help them on Friday.  

“We know it will be a tough game,” said Grimshaw. “We can see where they are in the table. Even from the Carabao Cup game, we can see they are a physical, quick, powerful team. It will be a tough test on Friday night, but we know that, at home, it is a tough test for anyone coming here.  

“If we go with that in our minds, don’t worry too much about them, think about what we can do to them at home, get the fans onside, and it’ll be a tough game for [Watford] too.  

“Coming back from the break last time, we didn’t have a great start, but we finished it with two good results: a win at home and a draw away at Derby, which is a tough place to go. We know our home form has been good, so we have to make that count on Friday.”