NEW DAD MORGAN IS MILES AHEAD
PLYMOUTH boss John Sheridan toasted Marvin Morgan’s display at the end of a week to remember. The Plymouth Argyle striker became a father for the first time last week, when baby Miles arrived on Tuesday.
And he capped off proceedings by scoring the opening goal in his side’s win over Hartlepool.
“I’m pleased for Marvin, I’m pleased for both scorers. I appreciate every player, the hardest thing for me is picking a team and leaving players out,’’ said Sheridan.
“He will remember this week, a big thing for him and it’s about getting his head down and concentrating. He’s only trained one day this week. I’m so pleased for him and this should give him the confidence to push on.
“It’s a big, big thing for him. It’s something he will cherish and he can always say he scored when his baby was born.
“Winning was the most important thing after losing at home last time. Starting well was key and we did that with a good goal.
“The game was there to push on, get a second goal to make it a bit easier. Instead we did one or two silly things to enable them to have some opportunities.
“I was happy second half, but it was important to win, stay in the pack after what happened last week.’’
After a shaky defensive opening in which they twice had to throw bodies in front of the ball to keep it away from goal, Pools conceded.
A long ball found Morgan and he turned right-back Jordan Richards and fired low across goalkeeper Scott Flinders.
Bradley Walker fired a short corner over the bar, and Ryan Brobbel shot wide as Pools responded in a positive manner.
Reuben Reid headed wide from six yards when he should have put the Pilgrims two-up, before Pools were denied a leveller right on half-time.
Marlon Harewood fed Jonathan Franks and, from close range, goalkeeper Luke McCormick smothered the chance.
Franks twice then picked out the wrong option when he had the chance to create a routine finish for his strike partner Harewood and Jack Compton teed up Tommy Miller to shoot over the bar.
Pools were looking good for at least a point, as they controlled long spells of play.
But they were caught out by a swift counterattack, as Sheridan’s side finished the game off on 76 minutes.
Dominic Blizzard’s long pass caught the Pools defence pushing up, trying to catch Nathan Thomas offside, but the midfielder broke away and curled his finish past Scott Flinders. It was Pools’ third defeat in a week and only Carlisle sit below them in the table.
“We did enough to get something from the game,’’ said boss Colin Cooper. “And I’ve just said in the dressing room that if there wasn’t any goals in the game then we actually hadn’t played that badly.
“We had plenty of the ball, but didn’t do enough with it. With chances when they come your way you have to score. It wasn’t for the want of trying, but when you are one on one with the goalkeeper that chance has to end up the back off the net.”