Argyle battle back twice to earn share of points
SUBSTITUTE Niall Ennis netted a 78th minute equaliser as Plymouth Argyle drew 2-2 with Accrington Stanley at Home Park.
It was Ennis’s first goal for the Pilgrims since signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.
Argyle twice came from behind to pick up a point from what was a hugely entertaining game.
It also extended their unbeaten league record at the start of 2021 to five games.
Accrington opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a glancing header from Joe Pritchard but Argyle were soon on level terms.
Top scorer Luke Jephcott fired home his 16th goal of the season to send the sides into the break all square.
Dion Charles restored Accrington’s lead less than a minute into the second half but Argyle responded well to that setback.
They mounted a series of attacks, often with the outstanding Danny Mayor at the heart of them, and at the very least deserved the equaliser from Ennis.
Argyle were unchanged from the 2-0 midweek league win away to Swindon Town, with Ryan Hardie and Jephcott continuing their strike partnership.
Hardie had made the headlines on Friday by turning his season-long loan from Blackpool into a permanent transfer. The Pilgrims paid an undisclosed fee for Hardie, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The visitors started strongly, forcing an early corner which Argyle struggled to clear before Pritchard scuffed a shot wide of the target from inside the penalty area.
Skipper Joe Edwards had Argyle’s first scoring chance in the fifth minute following a surging run through the midfield from Mayor.
He rolled the ball outside to Edwards, whose fierce right foot shot was pushed wide by Stanley ‘keeper Nathan Baxter.
The visitors continued to take the game to the hosts, Matt Butcher curling a set piece just wide of Mike Cooper’s left post, and striker Colby Bishop could not quite get on the end of a whipped in cross from Pritchard.
Argyle gradually began to have more possession and Jephcott fired narrowly wide of the far post with an angled drive in the 35th minute.
Argyle were then indebted to some superb defending from Jerome
Opoku when Accrington went on the attack. A cross from the right found Bishop, who seemed certain to apply the finishing touch from just eight yards out, however, former Accrington loan signing Opoku made a superb challenge and the ball went out of play for a goal kick off the visitors’ striker.
Accrington went ahead in the 41st minute, a neat glancing header from Pritchard nestling in the corner of the net after a cross from Charles.
Their advantage did not last long as Jephcott came up with his 16th goal of the season.
Camara put in a cross from the right which hit Accrington captain Seamus Conneely and dropped invitingly for Jephcott to crash the ball into the net from close range.
It stayed 1-1 until half-time, but the visitors regained the lead inside the opening minute of the second period.
The ball was driven low across the face of goal by Pritchard and looked likely to go out of play for a goal kick. Instead, Tariq Uwakwe covered a lot of ground to keep it in and his cutback found Charles, who slotted home from a central position inside the box.
The Pilgrims had the ball in the Accrington net in the 56th minute after a counter attack led by Hardie.
He played the ball to his left where Jephcott could have taken a shot but instead squared it across to Camara. The midfielder had a simple task to touch it into the net but an offside flag meant it did not count.
Nevertheless, it had been a good response from Argyle to conceding such an early goal in the second half.
Both sides continued to play some good constructive football in what was an excellent advert for League One football.
Argyle manager Ryan Lowe made a triple substitution in the 68th minute, with Jephcott replaced by Ennis, and Liverpool loan signing Adam Lewis taking over from Conor Grant at left wing-back. There was also a change in the midfield holding role with Ben Reeves taking over from Tyrese Fornah.
Baxter made a fine diving save from Mayor’s terrific 73rd minute strike as Argyle kept up their search for an equaliser.
It finally came in the 78th minute after superb link up play between Ennis and Mayor. Ennis, with his back to goal, held the ball up and then played it outside to Mayor, who darted forward and cut the ball back to Ennis and the former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker coolly slotted home his first goal for the club.