Western Morning News (Saturday)
Plymouth hold on for slender victory
AFIRST Plymouth Argyle goal for on-loan Crystal Palace defender Sam Woods secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against AFC Wimbledon at Home Park.
Woods scored with a clever back flick in the 11th minute as the Pilgrims continued their season-long trend of taking early leads.
However, as has also been the case this term, Argyle failed to take chances to extend their advantage before half-time.
Relegation-threatened Wimbledon came on strong in the second period and put a succession of crosses into the Pilgrims’ penalty area.
However, with defender Will Aimson heading away on numerous occasions, Argyle were able to hold on for the win.
The joy at scoring turned to disappointment for Woods when he limped out of the action in the second half.
But his goal moved the Pilgrims onto 52 points for the season and up to 14th position in the table with seven games to go.
Ryan Lowe went with the same Argyle starting line-up as from the 2-2 draw away to Blackpool.
That meant Ryan Hardie continued up front with Niall Ennis, while 18-goal top scorer Luke Jephcott was among the substitutes.
On-loan Newcastle United defender Kell Watts was named among the substitutes after missing two matches due to a hip problem.
The visitors made a confident start, having plenty of the early possession, with one shot from captain Luke O’Neill flying over the crossbar.
However, Argyle came up with the opening goal of the game in the 11th minute with a clever close range finish from Woods.
The defender had stayed up following a corner for the Pilgrims and showed a striker’s instinct inside the opposition box.
Midfielder Tyrese Fornah put in a low cross from the right and Woods, in a central position, scored with a deft back flick into the net.
Argyle were buoyed by that goal and both Danny Mayor and Hardie had shots saved by Wimbledon ‘keeper Nik Tzanev soon afterwards.
His opposite number, Mike Cooper, was called into action for the first time in the 26th minute when he saved a header from defender Will Nightingale following a corner.
Wimbledon got into some attacking areas, often through full-backs O’Neill and Cheye Alexander, but Argyle kept them at bay.
The Pilgrims went close to scoring a second goal on the half hour mark after Mayor and Hardie linked up well on the left.
The ball was played back to Ennis, whose low left-foot shot beat Tzanev but was cleared off the line by Alexander.
Wimbledon continued to pose a threat when they went forward and had a chance to draw level in the 37th minute.
Striker Ryan Longman cut in from the left and unleashed a fierce shot which a flying Cooper pushed over the bar.
Cooper also hurled himself at a loose ball from the resulting corner as Nightingale slid in.
It spun up into the air and, fortunately for the Pilgrims, the ball dropped just outside the post.
Argyle defender Will Aimson had the next chance when left-back Adam Lewis swung in a corner.
Aimson rose highest to get in a header which was on target but was cleared away by Joe Pigott.
Into the second half and Wimbledon had a very good early chance to draw level.
O’Neill’s deep cross was headed down by Pigott and the ball dropped invitingly for Ethan Chislett.
The midfielder should have scored but miscued his shot and the ball rolled harmlessly wide of Cooper’s left post.
A poor clearance from Tzanev then led to a decent opportunity for Mayor but his strike was straight at the Wimbledon ‘keeper.
The visitors threatened again when Ayoub Assal got in behind Lewis and played the ball into the path of Longman.
His cross was intended for Pigott, who was lurking inside the penalty area, but Woods slid in and got a vital touch to the ball, taking it away from the Dons’ striker.
Wimbledon continued their good spell as Argyle’s defence came under increasing pressure.
When Longman broke down the left he put in a low cross to the near post which Pigott could not steer towards goal.
Jephcott was a 61st minute substitute for Hardie, before Longman turned away from Argyle skipper Joe Edwards but blazed over the bar.
Woods then had to slide in, facing his own goal, and put a menacing Longman cross behind for a corner as Wimbledon got on top.
Cooper also blocked a shot from Longman as he narrowed the angle by charging off his line.
Watts was sent on as a 71st minute substitute for Lewis as Argyle switched to a three-man defence.
That meant Grant moved to the left wing-back role, while at the same time Wimbledon made a change with Ollie Palmer on for Pigott.
A left wing cross from Wimbledon substitute Nesta Guinness-Walker hit the outside of the near post and went out for a corner with the aid of a touch from Cooper.
Wimbledon stayed on the attack with Argyle unable to come up with many forays forward.
Woods limped out of the action with a leg injury and while they were down to 10 men there was a shot from Palmer touched into the side netting by the increasingly busy Cooper.
Fornah moved into central defence as Argyle made a double substitution in the 81st minute.
Ben Reeves and Byron Moore were replacements for Woods and Ennis, the latter who had seen little of the ball in the second half.
Reeves went into the midfield holding role vacated by Fornah while Moore was up front with Jephcott.
Wimbledon went very close to grabbing an equaliser with an 89th minute header from defender Ben Heneghan which bounced narrowly wide.
Crosses continued to be hit into the Pilgrims’ box by the visitors but Argyle, led by the excellent Aimson, held on for a clean sheet and three points.