Five-star Argyle are acclaimed by Adams
DEREK ADAMS hailed his Plymouth side after they soared to 14th in the table with a thumping home win over 10-man Rochdale.
Freddie Ladapo put the home side ahead only for Matt Done to level things up. However, it was all one-way traffic in the second half when Ryan Edwards, Ladapo, Oscar Threlkeld and Ashley Smith-Brown all found the net.
Adams said: “The team are in fantastic form and look very good going forward.
“We were probably not clinical enough in the first half, but we certainly were in the second.
“We dominated possession with the amount of opportunities we had. We have been able to go in at 1-0 at half-time, but straight after we give away a sloppy goal.
“They got a lift from that, but then got a player sent off. From then on we go on to get a further four goals.
“Ashley scored an unbelievable goal, it was a terrific finish from him, curling it into the top corner.
“We were on the front foot and it was just a matter of time and how many we were going to get.”
Striker Ladapo fired Argyle ahead after 26 minutes from the edge of the box, before Done pounced on a poor pass by Edwards to make it 1-1 just after halftime.
Rochdale were reduced to 10 men after 58 minutes when defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell handled a pass from Ruben Lameiras destined to put Ladapo in on goal.
Edwards atoned for his earlier error by scoring Argyle’s second when he scored from close range following Graham Carey’s corner.
Ladapo took his season’s tally to 15 when he went solo to score his in the 75th minute, before sub Threlkeld made it 4-1, before Smith-Brown crashed in a fifth late on. Rochdale boss, former Argyle defender Keith Hill, said: “Plymouth were the better side in the first half. I had to change it at half-time. I was looking for momentum, but it was non-evident in respect of what we planned to do. Andy Lonergan kept us in the game.
“I can’t argue or disagree with Ethan’s dismissal, he has handballed it, he is the last man, but there is a handball which leads to them scoring the second.”