IT’SBROOMHOW SHAKALAKA
Ryan sends Argyle top after Brewers battle
RYAN LOWE believes his Plymouth side are on course to seal a return to the Championship following an 11-year absence.
The Pilgrims stretched their unbeaten run to 11 games thanks to first-half goals from Conor Grant and Ryan Broom.
Lowe’s side took advantage of the international break to leapfrog Sunderland and Wigan as Plymouth topped the third tier for the first time since
2004.
In February 2020, Argyle outlined their mission to become a sustainable Championship club within five years.
Yet the way Lowe’s side are performing that dream might come true sooner than expected.
The Plymouth boss (below) said: “It feels good to be top of the league whether it’s for the short term or the long term.
“At this moment in time you can say we are up there for a reason because we deserve to be there because we are winning games of football.
“It means a lot to the club.
“You heard the fans singing ‘We are on our way back’ and we are on our way back to being a sustainable Championship club.
“That’s the ambition of the club and that’s why I came here to do that.
“But we can’t get too carried away and we have just got to keep working hard and doing the right things.
“I think everyone was excited and so they should be but we will not get carried away.
“It’s where you are at the end of the season that really matters.”
Plymouth exploded out of the traps and predictably leading goalscorer Ryan Hardie was at the centre of the first foray into Burton territory.
Panutche Camara supplied a cross from
This means a lot to the club. You heard the fans singing ‘We’re on our way back.’ That’s the ambition, but we won’t get carried away the right, Hardie helped it on an Kieran Agard hooked an effort whisker wide from close range.
A touch of skill saw Hardie c inside Tom Hamer before flightin a delicious shot against the cros bar.
But Burton’s floodgates bur open on 15 minutes when Rya Leak headed Jordon Garrick’s cro clear, only for Grant to ram hom the rebound.
Grant turned provider in th 28th minute, delivering a dee cross for Hardie to send a fr header straight down the throat Ben Garratt.
Plymouth doubled their lead the 43rd minute thanks to th quick-thinking of Michael Coope
The Pilgrims keeper’s enormou throw sent Hardie racing clear Cameron Borthwick-jackson an the striker slipped the ball into th path of Broom who stroked hom
Burton were thrown a lifeline
the 59th minute courtesy of a smart finish by Lucas Akins.
Conor Shaughnessy rolled the ball into the striker’s path and he turned James Wilson before firing into the bottom corner.
Burton’s hopes disappeared when Daniel Jebbison swept past Macaulay Gillesphey but fired into the side netting with the goal gaping.
The defeat sees the
Brewers slip to 10th.
Burton assistant manager Dino
Maamria said: “We were poor in the first half and dominated the second.
“We probably deserved a draw and we had a great chance at the end.
“It has been a mixed start to the season and we would have liked some more points on the board.”