Western Morning News (Saturday)
Mayor will draw on double motivation for Devon derby
DANNY Mayor has two incentives going into Plymouth Argyle’s much-anticipated Devon derby against Exeter City at St James Park this lunchtime.
The 32-year-old midfielder wants the promotion-chasing Pilgrims to bounce back from their 2-0 Easter Monday defeat by Lincoln City at Home Park.
Mayor is also motivated by the fact that his, and Argyle’s, last visit to St James Park in October 2019 ended in a 4-0 loss, when he played as a second half substitute.
There will be a sold-out crowd at St James Park tomorrow for the 71st Football League meeting between the sides, including a 1,200-strong travelling Green Army.
Mayor said: “It’s massive, it’s a fixture we looked for at the beginning of the season. I didn’t have a great experience when I was there last time so it would be nice to put it right, and put it right from Monday as well.”
Former Argyle manager Ryan Lowe adopted a ‘it’s just another game’ approach before the October 2019 meeting between the sides and that backfired on the Pilgrims.
Mayor said: “I remember the build-up. We had only been here a couple of months and we probably didn’t realise the magnitude of the game.
“At the time Lowey wanted to keep it as normal as possible, but it’s not. It’s a derby – it’s a big derby – and it’s something the lads are really looking forward to.”
Argyle will be looking to complete the double over City after beating them 4-2 in a thrilling Sky-televised fixture at Home Park at the end of October. The visitors from up the A38 twice took the lead but Steven Schumacher’s Pilgrims hit back to secure maximum points in front of more than 16,000 fans.
Mayor said: “The experience when we played at Home Park was fantastic. I have never seen it like that – it was rocking.
“I was unfortunate, I was in the stands injured that night, but it was electric from start to finish. You could feel it in the warm-up, the light show, we made it a proper game and it lived up to the billing to be fair, it was a great game. I’m hoping Saturday is.”
Mayor added: “We know as players after the first game how much it means to the fans and the city and we need to show that on the pitch.
“I think we will just be feeding off our fans. They have been fantastic all season again. They are going to come in their numbers, they are going to be loud.”
Given the fierce rivalry between the clubs the kick-off at St James Park is at 12 noon but Mayor does not expect that to lessen the intensity of the match.
Mayor said: “It shouldn’t do. It’s a massive game, I can’t keep emphasising it (enough). I have experienced one at home and the one away.
“We know how big it is. As players, I don’t think from our point of view it will change anything.
“We will go in there with fight and hopefully get the win.”