Watford (A) | Schumacher's Reaction

The basic statistic that Argyle’s first away game of the Sky Bet Championship season, at Watford, finished 0-0, does little to tell the story of the game.

Goalless it may have been, but it was a game full of excitement and chances, and one that both sides will probably they could have shaded.

Given that Watford had begun the season with a 4-0 win at home to Queens Park Rangers the previous week, the clean sheet that Argyle earned at Vicarage Road feels even sweeter. That said, the Pilgrims had chances of the own, generated from slick counter-attacking football.

“I thought it was a good game,” said manager Steven Schumacher. “There was a good flow to it. It was exciting to watch for a 0-0, loads of chances for both teams.

“I'm so pleased with our performance. I thought defensively we were really good, really well organised.

“I thought we got the tactics spot on. We watched what happened here last week and we obviously had to do something different. We caused a few problems for them as well on the counter attack. I thought we were always a threat; I’m so pleased and proud of the lads’ performance.

“Some of our last-ditch defending was excellent. We got blocks in in front of the goal, and when you come to a place like this, you know that that's going to have to be the case.

“Also, you've got to cause them one or two problems. You can't just sit back and soak up all the pressure. I thought we did that well; thought we were a threat.

“The amount of chances that we created gives us confidence. When we're organised behind the ball, we're disciplined and we're committed to defending, then we know that with the players that we've got, we'll create chances.

“I was pleased with the openings that we did make. We just need to take them, show a little bit more quality, be a bit more clinical in these huge games – and we'll be alright. The clean sheet is brilliant and everybody as a team can be proud of that. It's not just the back four or the goalkeeper.

“Everybody worked hard because it was a tough shift. As I said in the week, Watford are going to be a top team. They're going to be right up there this season. They've got some real good players. We've matched them, we've competed with them, which is what we needed to do - and we've come away with a deserved point.

“If we keep performing like that, keep being a team, then we've got a chance.”

More than 2,000 members of the Green Army were vociferous in their backing of their team, who responded by putting everything on the line.

Any doubts that Argyle were going to be overawed by a Championship environment were swiftly dispelled. If anything, playing at a nice stadium, against a team very recently in the Premier League, raised everyone’s game.

On the Green Army, Schumacher said: “Probably the most pleasing part of it is that they've seen their team put a right shift in. We've performed, we've given everything that we’ve got. To see them singing everyone's name there at the end, in what was a brilliant game [was great].

“Just pulling in here today, there was just the realisation that we're at a proper stadium, it's going to be a proper atmosphere.

“As first weeks of the Championship season go, it couldn't have gone much better.”