Match Report: Blackpool 1 Argyle 2

Argyle completed the next stage of their pre-season preparation with a 2-1 victory over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Goals before the break from Mickel Miller and Ryan Hardie gave Argyle a 2-0 advantage at half-time against The Seasiders, who are set for a League One campaign after their relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season.

The first real chance of the game was self-made by Blackpool’s Matty Virtue, who stole the ball about 25 yards from Argyle’s goal and headed through on his own. He struck powerfully on target, but Callum Burton, who had reacted well to narrow the angle, and reacted even better to save the shot to his left.

A few minutes later, Virtue skipped down the right and crossed low, but Jake Beesley’s contact on the ball was minimal, and it drifted harmlessly wide.

The next chance was Argyle’s, and it was the best to that point. Former Seasiders Callum Wright and Ryan Hardie used their local knowledge and combined niftily inside the Blackpool area, with the former clipping towards an arriving Freddie Issaka. The teenager tried to steer the ball goalwards, but could just not quite get the power on the ball that he needed, and Blackpool survived.

But not for long. Miller had looked the Greens’ most lively player in the opening period of the game, and he underlined that with the game’s opening goal.

Saxon Earley was fouled as he played a diagonal ball forward, but referee Leigh Doughty smartly waited to see if Hardie would win the footrace to the ball. He did, and when he was joined by Miller, Hardie teed up the wideman, who took a step inside onto his left foot, and curled in a sumptuous finish into the opposite corner.

Very soon after, Argyle had a second, and the same two protagonists were involved. This time it was Miller industriousness that procured some space inside the box for Hardie, who stroked past Dan Grimshaw to double the lead.

Before the break, Blackpool struck the woodwork in their quest to cut their deficit. Former Argyle midfielder Ollie Norburn floated a deep cross to where wing-back Andy Lyons met the ball on the run and headed goalwards. The ball looked destined for the corner, but struck a post, and rolled across the face of the goal, staying the right side of the line as far as Argyle were concerned.

After the interval, during which Argyle made one change – Julio Pleguezuelo for Lewis Gibson – the Pilgrims sought a third goal early on. A sweet move, started by a Jordan Houghton throughball and continued by Issaka and Wright, led to a shooting chance for Randell, which was well closed down.

Wright then hit the woodwork, making a swift near-post run and connecting with Miller’s cross, after he had turned his marker inside out.

However, it was Blackpool that would get the game’s next goal. It came from the penalty spot, the kick being awarded after Joe Edwards had unluckily brought down Dom Thompson. Shayne Lavery stroked the ball home, and Blackpool had halved Argyle’s lead.

The home side had brought out a brand new 11 for the second period, and Argyle made their own raft of changes on the hour, with their remaining nine outfield substitutes entering the fray.

Lavery had a chance to get his second and bring Blackpool level with just over 15 minutes remaining, after Argyle failed to deal with a Seasiders free kick, but Oscar Halls reacted smartly to block the shot.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden took a knock in a heavy challenge, and had to come off with eight minutes remaining, so Argyle played the closing stages with ten men, but saw the game out well to retain their 100% start to pre-season.

Argyle: 25 Callum Burton, 4 Jordan Houghton (3 Jack Matthews, 61), 6 Dan Scarr (31 Oscar Halls, 61), 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden, 61), 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine, 61), 11 Callum Wright (7 Matt Butcher, 61), 14 Mickel Miller (32 Will Jenkins Davies, 61), 17 Lewis Gibson (5 Julio Pleguezuelo half-time), 20 Adam Randell (34 Caleb Roberts, 61), 24 Saxon Earley (30 Jack Endacott, 61), 35 Freddie Issaka (22 Henry Donovan, 61).

Blackpool first half: 32 Dan Grimshaw, 2 Callum Connolly, 3 James Husband, 6 Ollie Norburn, 7 Owen Dale, 8 Albie Morgan, 17 Matty Virtue, 18 Jake Beesley, 21 Marvin Ekpiteta, 24 Andy Lyons, 39 Alex Lankshear.

Blackpool second half: 1 Richard O’Donnell, 5 Matt Pennington, 12 Kenny Dougall, 16 Sonny Carey, 19 Shayne Lavery, 20 Oliver Casey, 22 CJ Hamilton, 23 Dom Thompson, 33 Doug Tharme, 36 Rob Apter, 46 Tom Trybull.