Report | Argyle 1 Hull City 0
Argyle 1
Edwards 40
Hull City 0
It was written in the Pilgrim stars.
Captain Joe Edwards, a leader in every sense, scored the goal that confirmed Argyle will remain in the Sky Bet Championship next season. The skipper’s header, five minutes before half time, ensured a 1-0 victory was enough to avoid the drop.
The Pilgrims knew they needed to at least match the result of Birmingham City, who also won 1-0, but this day belonged to the Greens.
Argyle made two changes from the 1-0 loss at Millwall last weekend, Alfie Devine and Ryan Hardie coming in for Ben Waine and Brendan Galloway.
Despite the pressure of the situation, both sides opened with attacking fluency, Jaden Philogene forcing Dan Scarr into a solid early defensive block before a lovely exchange between Bali Mumba and Musthapa Bundu culminated in the former in having a shot deflected wide.
Fabio Carvalho demonstrated his threat with a dart into the box and Michael Cooper was swiftly off his line to narrow the angle for an important save. The Greens replied with Morgan Whittaker shaping a shot on his unfavoured right boot that flew narrowly over Ryan Allsop’s crossbar.
Home Park, meanwhile, was bouncing!
Devine and Hardie worked space for Whittaker to unleash a snap-shot, well saved by Allsop. Argyle were the side in control, Whittaker threading a super pass for Hardie, who was just crowded out for a corner.
Hull remained a menace on the counter, Liam Delap forcing another decent low save from Cooper. Argyle then had to make a change, Bundu limping off with a muscle injury to be replaced by Callum Wright.
It took just three minutes for the new man to make a monumental impression, delivering a perfect cross for captain Edwards, surging into the box from the right, and the skipper planted a fabulous header beyond an exposed Allsop.
The Green Army erupted, with Argyle 45 minutes away from safety. Hull made two changes at the break but one of the Tigers left on the pitch, Philogene, whipped a clever strike toward the near post and another accomplished save from Cooper.
Wright and Edwards attempted a repeat of their first-half trick, this time the skipper inches away from the floating cross, and then a Whittaker drilled delivery evaded everyone as it swept past the far post.
Whittaker had another attempt blocked as news filtered in that Birmingham had taken the lead at home to Norwich, cranking up the tension a few more notches. Hull’s play-off dream, by contrast, was fading away with news that West Brom were well clear against Preston.
If Hull had little left to play for, Argyle had everything.
It was agonising stuff but the Green Army maintained their roar. Philogene, however, remained a serious danger, fizzing a low cross into the penalty area and the Greens were mighty relieved to see the ball drift away to safety.
Argyle continued to seek out a decisive second, Mumba and Wright working the ball beautifully down the left, with the latter stabbing a volley narrowly wide. Waine, Galloway and Adam Forshaw replaced Hardie, Devine and Mumba for the final knockings off a long season, and the tension inside Home Park was beyond unbearable.
Scarr found a massive header to clear a Lewie Coyle cross before a Whittaker free-kick almost escaped the grasp. Hull, despite knowing the play-off dream was over and to their excruciating credit, were still striving for a leveller, such is the wonderful honesty of competition in the EFL.
The last few minutes were pure agony but we had done it, Argyle are staying in the Sky Bet Championship.
Argyle: 1 Michael Cooper; 2 Bali Mumba (22 Brendan Galloway 83), 6 Dan Scarr, 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 9 Ryan Hardie (23 Ben Waine 79), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 15 Mustapha Bundu (11 Callum Wright 37), 16 Alfie Devine (27 Adam Forshaw 83), 17 Lewis Gibson, 20 Adam Randell, 26 Ashley Phillips. Substitutes (not used): 21 Conor Hazard (gk), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 29 Matthew Sorinola, 35 Freddie Issaka.
Booked:
Hull City: 17 Ryan Allsop; 4 Jacob Greaves (capt), 5 Alfie Jones, 7 Ozan Tufan (50 Abdulkadir Omur H-T), 15 Tyler Morton (12 Billy Sharp 78), 20 Liam Delap (9 Noah Ohio H-T), 23 Jaden Philogene, 24 Jean Michael Seri, 27 Regan Slater (2 Lewie Coyle 60), 29 Matty Jacob (3 Ryan Giles 60), 45 Fabio Carvalho. Substitutes (not used): 1 Matt Ingram (gk), 6 Sean McLoughlin, 8 Greg Docherty, 10 Adama Traore.
Booked:
Referee: Darren Bond
Attendance:
