Report | Argyle 2-1 Sheffield United
There is something about 12 April, you know.
In 2024, Sky Bet Championship leaders Leicester City came to Home Park, with Argyle desperate for a win. The Pilgrims obliged on that occasion and, exactly one year later, performed a similar piece of heroics.
Sheffield United, serious promotion contenders, third in the league, went 1-0 up in a dour first half, and it felt like the Argyle flame was down to its fading embers.
The Pilgrims, though, found two second-half goals, through Ryan Hardie and Muhamed Tijani, to show the fire still burns.
Argyle Head Coach Miron Muslic made four changes for the game – some enforced, some not.
Nikola Katic and Matty Sorinola were ruled out, joining fellow defenders Brendan Galloway and Maksym Talovierov on the injury list. Into the team came Victor Palsson, playing alongside Julio Pleguezuelo and Kornel Szucs in a back three, and Nathanael Ogbeta, in at left wing-back, with Bali Mumba switching to the right.
In midfield, Adam Randell was joined by Jordan Houghton, with Callum Wright coming into the front three, with Mustapha Bundu and Ryan Hardie. Michael Obafemi and Darko Gyabi moved to the bench.
Considering both team’s respective league situations – Sheffield United third, pushing for promotion, Argyle bottom, in desperate need of points – the game was surprisingly devoid of action for a very long time.
United skipper Jack Robinson had a header from a corner go over the bar after 12 minutes, but the Blades were not demonstrating any palpable cutting edge. Neither, for that matter, were Argyle, whose best opportunities were, in truth, half-chances, usually from a long throw-in.
More than once, Szucs launched a ball into the area, with the Blades seeking to extract it. From one, Palsson glanced on brilliantly, but the bounce favoured defender over attacker, and Harry Clarke cleared from a disappointed Hardie.
Argyle felt like they might have been hard done by when a ball was played beyond United’s backline, and Bundu looked to run on. Former Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper raced out to claim it, but Bundu may have been held back in his attempt.
Argyle continued to huff and puff; Cooper timed another run from his line to come out of his box and knock a ball out for a throw-in, but Bundu took the throw quickly to Hardie, who hit a shot on target on the spin. Cooper, though, had recovered, and Hardie did not quite catch his shot plumb, so the chance was gone.
Sheffield United took the lead shortly before the break. Affecting a switch from left to right, United's Rak-Sakyi was in space, and he danced inside, onto his left foot, before curling into the corner.
Argyle brought on Joe Edwards for Ogbeta at half-time, and the first chance for the Pilgrims was again as a consequence of a Szucs long throw. This time Houghton made a significant flick-on, but Hardie was crowded out when trying to shoot.
Five minutes into the half, Rak-Sakyi tried to repeat his goal. Terrific work by Sydie Peck in the midfield opened up the game, and Rak-Sakyi again jinked in from the right and shot on target, but Conor Hazard pushed away well.
Just after the hour mark, Argyle brought on Muhamed Tijani for Wright, and almost immediately the Nigerian forward won a free-kick in a dangerous position. Randell sent in a cross that fell nicely for Hardie, whose shot cannoned into the ground, hit the bar, and went over.
After a period of United pressure, although not one in which Hazard was called into action, Argyle worked back into the game, with Bundu latching onto a Tijani flick and cutting inside, only for Vinicius Souza to make a timely recovery.
From the corner, delivered by Randell, Szucs hooked goalwards, a deflection took the ball to Edwards, who acrobatically pushed the ball goalwards, where Hardie turned home. His 11th goal of the season, to make it 1-1 – game very much on.
There were just under ten minutes remaining, and the momentum was with the Greens. Hardie had two moments where he tried to stand a ball up to the far post, but got the weight wrong. At the other end, with gaps widening, substitute Tyrese Campbell founds acres of space, but shot against the side-netting.
Then came the moment. It looked initially like Mumba had miscontrolled, and that a potential attack had evaporated, but he used his ability on the ball to wriggle free and burst down the left flank. Crossing early, Mumba’s ball nearly found Bundu, who did enough to put a defender off, and the ball fell to Tijani, who rifled home.
Keep the faith, and keep the fire burning, Pilgrims.
Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 2 Bali Mumba, 3 Nathanael Ogbeta (8 Joe Edwards, half-time), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 6 Kornel Szucs, 9 Ryan Hardie, 11 Callum Wright (26 Muhamed Tijani, 63), 14 Michael Obafemi, 15 Mustapha Bundu (18 Darko Gyabi, 90), 20 Adam Randell (capt), 44 Victor Palsson. Substitutes: 31 Daniel Grimshaw (gk), 14 Michael Obafemi, 17 Tymoteusz Puchacz, 19 Malachi Boateng, 30 Michael Baidoo, 35 Freddie Issaka.
Goals: Hardie 80, Tijani 88
Booked: Pleguezuelo 90+6
Sheffield United: 1 Michael Cooper, 8 Gustavo Hamer, 10 Callum O’Hare, 11 Jesarun Rak-Sakyi (20 Ben Brereton Diaz, 67), 14 Harrison Burrows, 15 Anel Ahmedhodzic, 18 Harry Clarke (38 Femi Seriki, 68), 19 Jack Robinson (capt), 21 Vinicius Souza (24 Hamza Choudhury, 80), 28 Tom Cannon (9 Kieffer Moore, 67), 42 Sydie Peck (23 Tyrese Campbell, 84). Substitutes: 17 Adam Davies (gk), 3 Sam McCallum, 5 Rob Holding, 7 Rhian Brewster.
Goals: Rak-Sakyi 44
Booked: Clarke 64
Attendance: 16,565 (1,715 away)
Referee: Oliver Langford
