Report | Argyle 1-2 Swansea City
An improved Argyle were not able to add any more points to their total as they lost 2-1 to Swansea City at Home Park.
Although perhaps an upgrade on recent heavy defeats is not saying much, Argyle had much more about them, especially in the first half, against the Swans, but still found themselves a goal down at the break, through a Jay Fulton strike.
Now with the advantage, a confident Swansea scored on the hour, through Liam Cullen, but the Pilgrims rallied, and got one back via Mustapha Bundu, with just over 10 minutes to go.
This led to a late Argyle surge, as the Greens pushed bodies forward, but there was to be no repeat of their late heroics of other home games this season.
Before the game, the inclusions of Brendan Galloway, out since 27 September, and Kornel Szucs, who was absent for the loss at Bristol City, were welcome news. Each featured in a new-look backline, with Argyle playing with a back four. Szucs played at right back, with Galloway accompanied by Lewis Gibson in the centre, and Nathanael Ogbeta on the left.
The shift in shape meant Bali Mumba played on the left in a more attacking position, with Bundu his equivalent to the right. They played either side of Andre Gray, through the middle, all supported by a midfield trio of Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi and Callum Wright.
Much of the opening phase of the game was played in Argyle’s own half, but notably with Argyle having a lot of the ball. Swansea, known for their possession football, were playing the role of the side pressing high, trying to force Argyle into a mistake. For their part, the Greens were waiting for City to be pulled out of position, in order to find some space. It was all a bit cat and mouse.
Or was that Cal and Moose? The former, Wright, was looking Argyle’s liveliest asset, harassing Swansea defenders and on more than one occasion coming close to picking a pocket in a good area.
Moose – that is, Bundu – then came the closest of anyone to this point to opening the scoring. From a right-wing throw-in, Szucs found Randell, who clipped to Bundu, and the Sierra Leone international drove forward. He took aim from near the edge of the box, past a stricken goalkeeper, and saw the ball cannon off the post, while Gray could not quite react quick enough to the rebound as it came his way.
The Swans were a threat, though, and had a good chance bang on the half-hour mark, when Myles Peart-Harris crossed from the right and picked out Eom Ji-Sung, unmarked in the area, but the South Korean got his angles and connection all wrong, heading well wide.
Swansea went ahead just before half-time, and it felt rather harsh on the Pilgrims, who had looked infinitely more lively and threatening than in recent games. It came from a move down Swansea’s left, where a cross came in, and although Galloway reached out a leg to halt the ball’s progress, it fell kindly to Fulton, who lashed home.
Argyle looked a bit shaken coming out for the second half, perhaps punctured by the fact that their improved performance had still led to a half-time deficit.
Swansea, therefore, were the team with the visible confidence at the start of the second period, as they sought another. Eom went close with a curling effort from just outside the area before, just after the hour mark, the Swans got their next goal.
Not for the first time in the game, Peart-Harris sent in an inviting cross from the right wing, and Cullen was the one most eager to meet it, clipping home in front of the travelling supporters.
Argyle were already readying Michael Obafemi to come on, in place of Ogbeta, and that change was shortly followed by Ryan Hardie for Gray, as the Greens looked for an injection of something different.
That came in the form of that rarest of Argyle beasts, a goal from a corner.
The Pilgrims had not scored from a corner since, coincidentally enough, a win against Swansea last season. On that occasion, it was a slick move that found Morgan Whittaker to ping home. This time, things were a little less polished, but they all count, as they say.
Randell’s corner from the right took a diversion before Szucs got up highest to head against the bar, with the dropping ball falling to where Bundu was able to nod it over the line. Game on.
It was Bundu’s last touch. Rami Al Hajj was already poised to come on, and Argyle went through with the substitution, Al Hajj being introduced into a game which now saw the men in green on the front foot, with renewed belief. Obafemi crossed into a body, Wright saw a shot deflected wide (although a corner was not given) and Hardie headed a deflected Mumba shot into the goalkeeper’s hands.
For all their efforts, no equaliser could be found, and Argyle fell to a third successive defeat.
Argyle: 31 Daniel Grimshaw, 2 Bali Mumba, 3 Nathanael Ogbeta (14 Michael Obafemi, 61), 6 Kornel Szucs, 11 Callum Wright, 15 Mustapha Bundu (28 Rami Al Hajj, 79), 17 Lewis Gibson (capt), 18 Darko Gyabi, 19 Andre Gray (9 Ryan Hardie, 66), 20 Adam Randell, 22 Brendan Galloway. Substitutes: 21 Conor Hazard (gk), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 27 Adam Forshaw, 39 Tegan Finn, 44 Victor Palsson.
Goals: Bundu 79
Swansea: 22 Lawrence Vigouroux, 2 Josh Key (23 Cyrus Christie, 76) , 4 Jay Fulton (17 Goncalo Franco, 76), 5 Ben Cabango, 6 Harry Darling, 8 Matt Grimes (capt), 10 Eom Ji-Sung (35 Ronald, 67), 14 Josh Tymon (26 Kyle Naughton, 76) , 19 Florian Bianchini (9 Zan Vipotnik, 67), 20 Liam Cullen, 25 Myles Harris. Substitutes: 33 Jon McLoughlin (gk), 21 Nathan Tjoe-a-on, 32 Nelson Abbey, 47 Azeem Abdulai.
Goals: Fulton 44, Cullen 60
Booked: Key 20, Peart-Harris 90, Vipotnik 90
Attendance: 15,305 (463 away)
