Lowe sees ‘almost perfect’ away-day spoiled at the end
PLYMOUTH Argyle manager Ryan Lowe thought his side had put in the perfect away performance – until Burton Albion’s 93rd-minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw.
“I thought it was nearly a perfect away performance up until the 93rd minute,” Lowe told the Plymouth Herald.
“We went about our business the right way. The effort, desire and the commitment was in there.
“We played some good stuff at times. We could have scored two or three early on in the first half but it wasn’t to be.
“We knew Burton had a never say die attitude in terms of where they have come from and where they are trying to get to.
“You have to keep going until the end.
“Long throws, wide free kicks – everything is coming into the box. They bring their men up, they are shoving them all in.
“I thought we dealt with large parts of it very well but it’s a 94-minute game and they scored in the 93rd minute.
“It is what it is. It’s a point, we would have taken a point, but we wanted three.”
Plymouth’s goal was a neat opportunistic strike from recalled striker Ryan Hardie.
He showed good composure as he lifted the ball over Ben Garratt as the Burton keeper came charging out towards him.
“That’s Ry all over. He worked his socks off,” said Lowe.
“He hasn’t been left out of the team because of bad performances.
“He has been left out of the team at times when I’m swapping and changing and having a look.
“We said in the first half when Niall Ennis had a few chances, could he maybe have lifted one over the keeper at one point?
“Instead, he took a touch and tried to go round him and I think Ry saw that.
“We said ‘look, anything in there, just be instinctive’ and that’s certainly what he did.”
Ennis, who played 10 games for Burton earlier this season on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, had a couple of decent chances in the first half but was denied by Garratt both times.
“Sometimes they go in for you, sometimes they go through the keeper’s legs,” said Lowe.
“The keeper made a couple of good saves and Niall will look at that and think he could have done better.
“The main thing is trying to hit the target and Niall hit the keeper a couple of times.
“One came out to him he hit the defender from the second phase. “But the players were superb. “I’m gutted for them because they deserved three points.
“Burton have been fighting for their lives and they are effective in what they do.
“The long throw-ins, from wherever it is, the ball is coming in the box.
“There is not much played, mind, I know that.
“Again, credit where it’s due, that’s the way they play. That’s their style.
“They have honest lads who will run around and work hard for them.
“We wanted to come here and stamp our authority by playing a bit of football.
“We certainly did that and we were caught out with a long throw and a bit of a misjudgment between two players. Then he (Kane Hemmings) was through and shot, the keeper saved it and someone was there to tap it in.” football