Lillis gaffe gifts
THERE was little in the way of seasonal cheer on the ugliest of winter days at the Crown Oil Arena on Saturday, where a horrific error by Josh Lillis handed visiting Plymouth the points.
A contest played out in dire conditions was decided by the kind of mishap that must give goalkeepers nightmares – Lillis’ attempt to punt David Perkins’ routine back pass upfield ending up in the back of the net, the ball having rolled beneath his air kick. There was stunned silence around the stadium, a delayed celebration among the travelling green army and muted congratulations on the field among Plymouth players.
It was a miserable way to enter the festive season.
Hill opted for four changes from the team which had started the 2-0 Checkatrade Trophy win against Oldham in midweek. In came Josh Lillis, Ian Henderson, Callum Camps and Calvin Andrew, while Magnus Norman, Jordan Williams, Dan Adshead and Matty Gillam all took up places on the bench.
The visitors settled quickly and had the home side on the ropes at times during the opening exchanges.
Good work from Freddie Ladapo on the right side of the Dale penalty area ended with a lofted cross to the back post which was nodded down invitingly into the path of Graham Carey, the Dale defence doing just about enough to deflect his shot up and over the bar. From the resulting corner, Plymouth skipper Gary Sawyer poked agonisingly wide of the far post.
The home side’s first opening came in the eighth minute when Henderson lifted a fine pass over the Argyle backline for Camps, but his attempt to square the ball across the face of goal was quickly cut out.
David Fox fired into the side netting after strong hold up play from Ladapo while Ollie Rathbone’s run and shot across goal clearly took a deflection to take it wide of Matt Macey’s goal, though referee Carl Boyeson disagreed with the home contingent’s appeals for a corner.
The first save of the day proved a painful one for Macey – Henderson played in Rathbone on the left and the midfielder advanced towards goal before unleashing a shot which was blocked by the Plymouth stopper in that most delicate of places (particularly on a freezing cold day like Saturday!).
After a bright opening 25 minutes, the game entered something of a lull around the half hour mark and became increasingly scrappy, the deteriorating conditions having an effect. During that period Done hit a shot from distance which ran through a crowded penalty area without getting the touch he’d hoped for and at the other end Carey blasted one into the Sandy Lane supporters.
Dale finished the half in the ascendency but the quality of their delivery into the area was lacking and the team entered the break goalless.
The home side started the second period much better than they had the first, pressing Plymouth back for a spell. But with the visitors sitting deeper, picking a way through them proved problematic.
Henderson’s shot from distance cleared the crossbar while a header on target by Andrew was straight at Macey.
Antoni Sarcevic advanced into the area on the right and with Done conscious of fouling him he was allowed to advance towards the goal before slipping a shot wide of Lillis. His effort looked to have the legs to make it into the far corner but Joel Grant was on hand to make sure, poking into an