Argyle see destroyed Play-off dreams by ruthless MK
STEVEN Schumacher insisted his Plymouth Argyle squad should be proud of their efforts during 2021/22 League One campaign despite dropping out of the play-off positions on the final day of the regular season.
The Pilgrims were thrashed 5-0 by MK Dons in front of more than 15,000 fans as their fate was sealed in decisive fashion.
Argyle trailed 3-0 at the interval after conceding two late goals in the first half and they also had midfielder Jordan Houghton sent-off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.
So, even at that stage, it was clear there was no way back for the Pilgrims and they would not get the chance to compete for promotion to the Championship.
Argyle ended up in seventh, three points behind Wycombe Wanderers in the last of the four play-off positions, after not winning any of their last five games and only scoring twice.
Scott Twine, named the League One Player-of-the-Year last weekend, was in ruthless mood for MK Dons as he netted four of their goals.
Argyle, meanwhile, had two good early opportunities to open the scoring through striker Luke Jephcott but he did not hit the target on either occasion.
Schumacher said: “Gutted not to be able to make the play-offs. I felt that the players over the course of the season deserved to be there but today it just wasn’t our day.
“We created two unbelievable chances to go ahead in the game and if they go in it could have been a different story.
“In the end we have been punished by moments of quality from someone who was voted the best player in the league. We have got to take it on the chin and move on.”
Jephcott’s two clear-cut chances at 0-0 came from low crosses from the left, first from Jordon Garrick and then Ryan Law.
Schumacher said: “It’s something we worked on in training this week. We spoke about trying to get in behind their lines and penetrate with passes.
“We created two brilliant opportunities, balls across the six-yard box, which we knew would be our best chance to score.
“Luke got himself in the right positions and usually you would put your money on him to score but today they both went the wrong side of the post and that effectively changed the game.”
At 3-0 the game looked beyond Argyle anyway but their cause was not helped by the dismissal of Houghton after he was penalised for a couple of fouls in quick succession.
He was shown a second yellow card by referee Craig Hicks after a slight tug on MK Dons attacker David Kasumu.
Schumacher said: “I thought it was harsh at the time. There was bodies in and around it. I haven’t seen the replay, but he (Houghton) had just been booked and I just thought the referee didn’t necessarily need to give another yellow card straight away.
“For me, that killed the game as a contest. Going up against MK Dons is hard enough with 11 players, never mind when you have only got 10, so that killed it and they were comfortable second half and it could have been more.
“At half-time, we said to the players that they had to stick together, try and get some fouls and get some set plays, and see if they could get on the end of them, but once the fourth goal went in I just couldn’t wait for it to end.”
With Argyle missing out on the play-offs despite a points tally of 80, the two-legged semi-finals will see MK Dons take on Wycombe while Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland will meet each other.
Schumacher said: “Seventy-three, 74 points is usually nailed on to be in the play-offs. We have got 80 which is an incredible amount to get and unfortunately it has happened to be on us who has missed out.
“That just shows the strength of League One this year. There are strong teams in there with unbelievable resources who have pushed and pushed, and kept getting points all season, and we have managed to stay in the race with all of them.
“It’s a great achievement. It has been an unbelievable season and the players should be proud of themselves because they pushed it right to the wire.
“There are loads of positives. We have played some good football, gone away from home and had some great results, and it has been a fortress at Home Park.
“It’s the first time we have lost here in a long time, and first goals we have conceded here in a long time. The fans understand that and supported us throughout today.
“It wasn’t just about today’s game. It was the whole season and every one of these players deserve the applause that they got at the end.”
Schumacher added: “What happens next is we go away and rest and recover, first and foremost, because it has been a gruelling season.
“And then, again, we will have to get working hard over the summer to bring in some players who against the top teams have got matchwinning attributes, like they (MK Dons) have in Twine.
“We need to find people who can do that because if we are going to compete against the top sides in tight games you need little moments of quality and we just fell short on what we had today.”
Meanwhile, the wife of the Plymouth Argyle chairman has tweeted about fans leaving Home Park early during the crushing 5-0 defeat to MK Dons which ended the team’s playoff hopes, writes Stuart Abel.
Jane Hallett took to Twitter as the 10-man Pilgrims slumped to a loss which saw their season come to an end.
She tweeted: “I’ve never gotten into the argument about what constitutes a real fan. BUT If you’re leaving now...”
But some fans were angry about the apparent criticism of their level of commitment when it was clear Argyle had no way back against a team chasing automatic promotion.
Mrs Hallett later apologised to Argyle fans in a separate tweet. She wrote: “Hi all, I want to apologise for my comments in the heat of the moment. You’ve all supported the team brilliantly all season and I really appreciate it.”