REPORT | ACCRINGTON STANLEY 0 ARGYLE 2
Accrington Stanley 0
Argyle 2
Butcher 14
Grant 78
It was a grind for Argyle and not particularly pretty at times but two landmark goals, for different reasons, were enough to earn maximum points at Accrington Stanley.
Matt Butcher struck first with a deflected strike against the club where he performed so well for two seasons. Stanley lost Mo Sangare to a red card early in the second period and the win was sealed by Conor Grant, emerging from an injury nightmare to slam a sweet left-foot strike into the corner on 78 minutes.
Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made two changes from the weekend win over Forest Green Rovers, Saxon Earley and Ryan Hardie replacing Joe Edwards and Niall Ennis. Grant made a return to the bench for the first time since early November.
On a wet and wild night in the North-West, Accrington needed a win to climb out of the bottom four but the conditions dominated the early stages, with both sides struggling to find a cohesive passing rhythm.
Stanley conjured the first big chance, Korede Adedoyin twisting into space for a near-post drive beaten away by the fists of Callum Burton.
Argyle replied with the opening goal, which did contain a large chunk of fortune. Butcher exchanged passes with Hardie before unleashing a shot from 22 yards that took a huge deflection off the back of Baba Fernandes and spun into the corner of the net, with goalkeeper Toby Savin rooted to the spot.
The Greens almost doubled the lead three minutes later, Macaulay Gillesphey rifling a free-kick toward the top corner, palmed clear by Savin. Argyle were buzzing around the Wham Stadium, with Danny Mayor a growing influence from the left channel.
James Bolton was sadly forced off through injury on the half-hour, with Dan Scarr the obvious replacement, as the game slipped back into a scruffy spell. Scarr joined Gillesphey and James Wilson in competently dealing with the aerial threat in a swirling wind.
The half ended with Hardie’s pace stretching the home defence from a lofted Finn Azaz pass and the attempted square ball for an onrushing Mayor just carried too much weight for a shot on goal.
The second period opened with tremendous handling from Burton, gobbling up a dangerous Tommy Leigh cross from the left with two Accrington forwards in close proximity.
The general early pattern, however, saw Mayor and Azaz finding pockets of space to ask questions of a home defence that suffered a major setback on 51 minutes, when Sangare was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
Argyle almost took swift advantage of the numerical bonus, Azaz feeding Hardie for a run in behind. When Hardie rounded Savin, the angle was too tight for a shot, so he looped a cross back toward Azaz but his header lacked the power to trouble the home custodian.
The Greens freshened up the troops with the introduction of Callum Wright and Jay Matete for Earley and Houghton, but they could only watch and admire Burton’s outstanding save from a dipping 35-yard free-kick by Leigh.
Hardie then pounced on a slip in the home defence to surge into the right channel for a shot well saved by Savin. Accrington, though, were the side posing an increasing threat and pushing Argyle back into their own box.
Ennis and Grant replaced Mumba and Azaz, as the Pilgrims sought to regain control of proceedings, and they did so in fairytale circumstances. Grant has endured a horrible run of injuries but marked his return with a superb low strike, drilled into the far corner after being released by a perfectly timed Mayor pass.
Grant then picked out Callum Wright with a deep cross. The first-time volley was slightly scuffed but Hardie almost prodded the loose ball past a scrambling Savin. Leigh replied with another sweet strike, bravely blocked by the head of Gillesphey.
Hardie finished the evening with an extraordinary moment, curling a lovely effort beyond Savin that somehow hit both posts and still didn’t cross the line.
Three more big points for Argyle and next on the menu is a trip to Wembley.
Accrington: 40 Toby Savin, 2 Mitch Clark, 8 Tommy Leigh, 11 Sean McConville (capt), 12 Michael Nottingham, 14 Rosaire Longelo, 15 Mo Sangare, 19 Korede Adedoyin (7 Shaun Whalley 85), 20 Aaron Pressley (9 Matt Lowe 85), 22 Dan Martin, 50 Baba Fernandes. Substitutes: 30 Liam Isherwood (gk), 17 Jack Nolan, 18 Nathan Butler, 25 Seb Quirk, 43 Aaron Pickles.
Booked: Sangare 17, McConville 38, Martin 42, Longelo 90
Sent-off: Sangare 51
Argyle: 25 Callum Burton, 2 James Bolton (6 Dan Scarr 29), 3 Macaulay Gillesphey, 4 Jordan Houghton (28 Jay Matete 64), 5 James Wilson (capt), 7 Matt Butcher, 9 Ryan Hardie, 10 Danny Mayor, 17 Bali Mumba (15 Conor Grant 75), 18 Finn Azaz (11 Niall Ennis 75), 24 Saxon Earley (26 Callum Wright 64). Substitutes: 32 Adam Parkes (gk), 29 Tyreik Wright.
Booked:
Attendance: 2,489 (689 away)
Referee: Marc Edwards