Rooney disappointed despite comeback draw

Wayne Rooney was a man with mixed emotions on Saturday, following the conclusion of Argyle’s astounding encounter with Preston North End.  

When the visitors scored their third goal, just after half-time, through substitute Brad Potts, it felt like the game was completely beyond Argyle, with Potts’ goal augmenting first-half strikes from Sam Greenwood and Mads Frokjaer-Jensen.   

A glimmer of hope came from a Freddie Issaka goal on the 18-year-old’s first start for Argyle, but even then another 25 minutes went by before Andre Gray’s first Pilgrims goal really allowed the Green Army to believe the comeback could be on.  

When Morgan Whittaker scored in stoppage time – a fourth consecutive home game in which the Greens have scored after the fourth official’s board has gone up – it sent Home Park into delirium, but the Head Coach’s reaction was more mitigated.  

“It was difficult to believe after an hour, being 3-0 down. I was very concerned. Some of the defending was nowhere near good enough. 

“I'm angry today. I'm very angry today with that performance because we're better than that, and that's not us. 

“Great, we come back, we kept fighting, we showed a spirit, but that performance is not us, and I'm very disappointed.” 

“I just felt we were in a bit of a daze really. We weren't getting to the ball; stray passes were getting them one v one. The goals we conceded were very easy goals to concede. 

“I can't accept that performance. I’m delighted, obviously, that we got something out of the game, and we kept fighting. It's great when you come back and you do get something from being three goals down but, performance wise, that's nowhere near good enough.” 

Issaka and Gray are at different ends of their career – aged 18 and 33 respectively – but both made telling impacts, each scoring their first Argyle goals.  

Issaka started the game on the left side of Argyle’s attack, and he followed up a saved Adam Randell free-kick to prod home in front of the Babcock Devonport End. Gray, on as a second-half substitute, made a noticeable impact, not just with his neat headed goal from a superb Bali Mumba cross, but for his intelligent, effective build-up work.  

“TJ [Muhamed Tijani] is obviously injured, but with Ryan [Hardie], Andre and Michael [Obafemi], we've got three different types of strikers, really. When Andre came on, he used his body, he used his experience and was a nuisance. He put himself in the right areas like he did for his goal. 

“I thought he did really well when he come on and took his goal really well. I was pleased for him.  

“It was a great day [for Freddie], a special moment for him, obviously, to get his first start and to score. I think it's a good learning game for him as well. I was delighted for him, because he's been in-and-out with injuries, and he's come on the pitch [at times]. I felt it was the right game for him to start and, in the end, it worked out, getting a goal, so I'm really pleased for him.”