Report | Argyle 3-2 Sunderland
Argyle picked up their first league win of the season, toppling the previously unbeaten Sunderland in a 3-2 victory at Home Park thanks to a last-minute goal from Joe Edwards.
In a feisty tie at the Theatre of Greens, an extra-time winner from Edwards, a penalty from Ryan Hardie and an own goal from Black Cats’ defender Daniel Ballard handed the three points to Wayne Rooney’s side.
Sunderland’s Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle found the back of the net for the visiting side, but it wasn’t enough to halt an onrushing Argyle side in the final minutes of the game.
Three changes were made to Argyle’s starting line-up from the last encounter at Home Park two weeks prior, as Daniel Grimshaw completed his full league debut in front of the Green Army. Bali Mumba made his 100th appearance in green this afternoon, Edwards led from the opposite flank, with Kornel Szucs and Lewis Gibson completing the back four.
Darko Gyabi and Adam Randell took control of Argyle’s midfield, as Callum Wright filled the forward role of the trio, coming back into the side. On the wings, Morgan Whittaker and Ibrahim Cissoko prepared to support forward Michael Obafemi, who was making his first league start since joining on loan.
Sunderland started swiftly, moving the ball from left to right and utilising space on the wings to push forward. Within the opening minutes, Mundle’s quick feet and whipped-in ball flashed across the Argyle box, leaving players in both green and red frozen, and unable to claim the first touch.
Soon enough, the game had calmed down, and some shifty movement from Wright presented the Pilgrims with a free-kick just inside Sunderland’s half. Whittaker stepped up and lofted a ball towards the back post, but the optimistic cross was too heavy and ran out of play.
Jobe Bellingham, sporting a long-sleeve top similar to his brother, Jude, found himself able to test Grimshaw. However, his left-footed snapshot flew to the left of the Argyle goal and was celebrated with a loud cheer from the Green Army.
After the quarter-hour mark, the scoreline was even, but the Black Cats had been building and were handed an opportunity to test the Argyle defence from a corner. A training ground set-piece was on clear show, with the short corner giving Roberts a crossing chance. The curling ball was dealt with well by Randell initially before the midfielder cut out the second effort with the aid of Grimshaw’s punch.
Grimshaw was called into action in the following minutes when Chris Rigg pounced onto the ball inside Argyle’s box. The midfielder’s effort was saved comfortably by the Greens’ keeper, however, with the shot straight at him.
The deadlock was broken in the 24th minute through Patrick Roberts’ converted penalty. Rigg felt a tug on the back from a retrieving Mumba and went to the ground, with referee John Brooks awarding the spot-kick.
The Black Cats applied more pressure to a shaky Argyle side and were soon presented with another chance to test the defence and Grimshaw. Gyabi mistimed a challenge on the right wing, awarding the visitors a free-kick and was shown a yellow card in the process. The cross to the back post tested the Argyle keeper, with Grimshaw pushing the ball onto the bar and out of the Greens’ area.
Despite 10 minutes of domination from Sunderland, Argyle’s work on the right prevailed again. Whittaker picked up the ball and slotted Wright into open space, before firing a ball into the box. Luke O’Nien got his body in front of the cross, with the deflection falling perfectly to the feet of Gyabi, but he got underneath the effort and saw it agonisingly fly over the bar.
Soon enough, Mundle found himself with green grass ahead of him and drove towards a backtracking Argyle defence and open space. The winger cut onto his favoured right foot, releasing a curling effort blocked by a returning Gibson in the six-yard box.
Argyle controlled possession for a short spell moving the ball from left to right and creating space in the middle for Randell to move the ball or try and supply Obafemi and Gyabi in the box, though he was not on the same wavelength as his forward counterparts. His cross was too heavy and trickled into the hands of Anthony Patterson in the Sunderland goal.
Another chance was soon presented to Argyle when Cissoko’s fast feet and shifty movements won the Greens a corner. A barrage of green bodies soon ran towards the penalty spot looking to connect with the floated ball, but it was pushed away by Patterson and out of danger.
Within a minute of the restart, Argyle looked a more positive side, but cheers soon turned to anger when Whittaker was booked for a foul on Mundle. The resulting free-kick was cleared by Gyabi, with Wright and Mumba ending the Black Cats’ attack on the right wing with some quick defensive work.
Argyle’s positive start to the second 45 minutes continued when Randell released a long-range effort that required an outstanding save from Patterson to stop the game from being levelled. The low shot to the left corner was fired ferociously towards goal, much to the pleasure of the Green Army in the Babcock Devonport End.
In the minutes before, Bellingham was shown a yellow card for a very similar challenge to Whittaker in the opening stages of the second half.
Quick and shifty ball movement freed up Cissoko on the left wing in a familiar position for the whole game. The wingers’ attacking run had the Sunderland defence backtracking and his ball into the box fell to Whittaker at the back post, who volleyed home via a deflection from Daniel Ballard, sending Home Park into chaos and joy.
The encounter soon became a feisty one, with Mundle and Szucs both being shown a yellow card following an off-the-ball altercation. With the momentum and Green Army on their side, Argyle continued to push forward, winning multiple free-kicks and a booking being shown to Trai Hume.
Continued pressure and work rate presented Edwards with the most unlikely opportunity with a bouncing ball outside the box. However, a cleanly connected volley whistled just past Patterson’s goal and ever-so-closer to an Argyle lead.
Rooney turned to his bench, bringing on Rami Al Hajj and Ryan Hardie and within minutes, Argyle’s new signing created a chance of his own and supplied Cissoko with a ball which ended with the crossbar being rattled from the Dutchman’s curling effort from the left.
Cissoko continued to panic Hume on the right of Sunderland’s defence and provided the ball into the box, in which Hardie was fouled by Ballard in front of referee Brooks, who soon awarded a penalty. The Scotsman stepped up and slotted home before rearing off in celebration in front of the Babcock Devonport End.
As the game neared its end, Whittaker found himself with nothing but space ahead of him, but his final pass was cut out, leaving Mumba in shock on the opposite flank. Edwards was shown a yellow card just a minute later for a foul in Sunderland’s half.
After a long defensive stand, Sunderland found their equaliser through Mundle. The winger picked up the ball after a deflected shot and placed a low effort through bodies and into the opposite corner.
Substitute Wilson Isidor was presented with a headed opportunity at the back post from a tight angle. The striker attempted to bounce the ball back towards the goal, but the pace on the cross equalled his effort and ran out for a goal kick.
With just three minutes left, Home Park was sent into eruption by captain Edwards, handing Argyle the lead for the second time in the tie. Sunderland didn’t close the forward-pushing Szucs, with the defender firing a dipping effort at the feet of Patterson, who saved poorly, right into the path of Edwards to slot home.
Last-gasp defending and defensive effort saw the game out for Argyle, with Home Park chanting “Rooney, Rooney, Rooney” as the full-time whistle blew.
Argyle: 31 Daniel Grimshaw, 2 Bali Mumba, 6 Kornel Szucs, 7 Ibrahim Cissoko (22 Brendan Galloway, 79), 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 11 Callum Wright (28 Rami Al Hajj, 65), 14 Michael Obafemi (9 Ryan Hardie, 65), 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Darko Gyabi (4 Jordan Houghton, 83), 20 Adam Randell (27 Adam Forshaw, 83). Substitutes: 25 Marko Morosi (gk), 3 Nathanael Ogbeta, 15 Mustapha Bundu, 44 Victor Palsson.
Goals: Ballard (OG) 54, Hardie 74, Edwards 90+4
Booked: Gyabi 28, Whittaker 46, Szucs 57, Edwards 82
Sunderland: 1 Antony Patterson, 3 Dennis Firkin, 4 Dan Neil (capt), 5 Dan Ballard, 7 Jobe Bellingham, 10 Patrick Roberts, 11 Chris Rigg (8 Alan Browne, 70), 12 Eliezer Mayenda (18 Wilson Isidor, 79), 13 Luke O’Nien, 14 Romaine Mundle, 32 Trai Hume. Substitutes: 21 Simon Moore (gk), 15 Nazarii Rusyn, 26 Chris Mepham, 30 Milan Aleksic, 33 Leo Hjelde, 40 Tommy Watson, 47 Trey Ogunsuyi.
Goals: Roberts 24, Mundle 86
Booked: Bellingham 48, Mundle 56, Hume 59, Roberts 81
Half Time: Argyle 0-1 Sunderland
Attendance: 16,967 (1,723 Away)
