Argyle stay top of League One after repelling Oxford pressure
RYAN Lowe declared that the way his table-topping Plymouth Argyle side dealt with the heavy pressure they were put under by Oxford United was the most pleasing part of their 3-1 victory at the Kassam Stadium.
The Pilgrims continue to lead League One on goal difference from Wycombe Wanderers after extending their unbeaten run to 12 games.
They did so despite 10-goal top scorer Ryan Hardie only being named among the substitutes after suffering from a vomiting bug.
Oxford went ahead inside three minutes but Jordon Garrick - playing up front in the absence of Hardie equalised in the 11th minute with the first goal of his loan from Swansea City.
Midfielder Panutche Camara put the visitors 2-1 towards the end of the first half, before Oxford, boasting an unbeaten home league record this season, put them under heavy pressure in the second period.
Argyle, roared by 1,800 of the Green Army, kept the U’s out, however, and Camara wrapped up the win in the 84th minute.
Lowe said: “Out of possession I thought we were fantastic, every one to a man. Everything we asked of the group. We knew we were going to come under sustained pressure.
“Oxford are a good team and their rotation is fantastic. You saw that with their first goal - a little bit of movement off the striker and in behind.
“We had to ride the storm a little bit, we were under the cosh, which we expected. We wanted to slow it down and play at our tempo but Oxford are always going to get at you and in your faces.
“We got a foothold in the game when Jordon scored a fantastic goal, and to take the lead just before halftime always gives you that lift.”
Lowe continued: “We knew they were going to out strong again and they did. We just couldn’t keep the ball.
“But when we rode the storm and we rode their pressing, and we got it into good areas, we looked a threat. Listen, to score three goals away at Oxford in the manner we did is fantastic, but let’s not kid ourselves we were under a lot of pressure at times.
“To withstand that pressure is more pleasing for me than the three goals really because when you come to Oxford you have to do that, and we did it to a man.”
Argyle still have not lost a league game since they were beaten 2-0 at Rotherham United on the opening day of the season, August 7.
Lowe said: “This group of players and all the staff, we are calm, collected, we know what to do. We stick to the plan, which we give them, and it’s over to them then and they go and bring it to fruition.”
Argyle will assess the health of 10-goal top scorer Hardie ahead of their League One game against Bolton tomorrow night.
He arrived at the Kassam Stadium with club secretary Zac Newton and finance director David Ray shortly before the team coach did.
Argyle manager Ryan Lowe opted to go with Swansea City loan signing Garrick as the strike partner to Luke Jephcott.
However, Hardie did get into the action as a 79th minute substitute for Jephcott as the Pilgrims remained top of the table after extending their unbeaten run to 12 games.
Lowe said after the game: “He has had a bad bug, a vomiting bug, him and his missus Chloe. I hope she’s better now, I think she is, and the baby is fine so that’s a big plus.
“Ryan didn’t train with us Friday and didn’t travel us. He has come up with Zac Newton today in the car. He will go back with them just in case it’s a bug that can be contagious.
“If you ask Ry he wants to play 90 minutes but I thought Jordon Garrick was fantastic. A lot of eyebrows would have been raised when you don’t see Ryan Hardie, the leading goalscorer, on the pitch but these things happen don’t they?
“He has not eaten much. We will get a lot of food into him over the weekend and we will assess him Monday morning and see how he is.
“But we have got a player in Jordon Garrick who has probably played his best game in a while, whether it’s in a Swansea shirt or an Argyle shirt so I’m really pleased for him.
“You look at the bench, we had Danny Mayor, Brendan Galloway, Ryan Hardie. You are looking round now and you are thinking there is options what you can do.”
Lowe’s faith in Garrick was rewarded as the 23-year-old scored an 11th minute equaliser for his first Argyle goal, to cancel out an early strike from Oxford’s Matty Taylor.
The ball was played into his path, out wide on the left, by Jephcott and Garrick was one-on-one with defender Jordan Thorniley.
The stand-in striker cut inside Thorniley onto his right foot and placed an accurate low shot into the bottom corner of the net past ‘keeper Jack Stevens.
Lowe explained why he had gone with Garrick against Oxford instead of experienced striker Kieran Agard, who had scored in the midweek 3-1
Papa John’s Trophy home defeat by Swindon Town.
The Pilgrims’ boss said: “Jordon is a fantastic kid. When he came to us from Swansea he had had a hamstring injury early on pre-season so we have got to manage him.
“But there is no question in my mind he can play anywhere across the front, as proven today.
“We had Kieran, but what we felt today is we needed a bit of pace down their sides. Pace kills teams doesn’t it?
“Jordon would potentially have played right wing-back and Ryan Hardie would have played up front.
“The game plan was to get pace and power down the sides of them where we felt we could hurt them and Jordon did that on his own.
“As a striker’s performance he was fantastic. He’s different to a (Matty) Taylor, who’s in and jinking around.
“When you have got that pace and ball retention around your feet as soon as he has chopped inside I knew he was scoring.”
Bolton will come to Home Park on Saturday smarting from a 4-0 home defeat by local rivals Wigan Athletic at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday.
Former Argyle midfielder Antoni Sarcevic played the whole game while defender Will Aimson, another ex-Pilgrims’ player, was an unused substitute.