Galloway helps Plymouth go FOUR points clear

PLYMOUTH. - Ryan Hardie scored twice as a second half substitute as Plymouth Argyle beat arch rivals Exeter City 4-2 at Home Park on Monday night to extend their lead at the top of League One to FOUR points.

Zimbabwe international defender, Brendan Galloway, was thrown into the starting XI for the sold-out derby. The Pilgrims twice fell behind in a pulsating Devon derby, but equalised soon afterwards on both occasions, first through Morgan Whittaker and then Bali Mumba.

Then Hardie took centre stage after being introduced as a substitute for Niall Ennis shortly after the hour mark.

First, the Scottish striker swivelled and shot past Exeter goalkeeper Jamal Blackman in the 70th minute to put Argyle ahead for the first time in the match. Then in the closing stages Hardie was released by the superb Whittaker and he came up with a calm, composed finish to send the 16,000plus Home Park crowd into raptures.

It is now a remarkable NINE successive home League One wins at the start of the season for Argyle, who have picked up 41 points from their 17 games this term.

There was no Finn Azaz for Argyle after he suffered an ankle injury last time out in the 2-1 home win against Shrewsbury Town but defender Dan Scarr returned after serving a three-match league suspension.

Scarr was one of five team changes made by Steven Schumacher from that victory over the Shrews, along with Brendan Galloway, Joe Edwards, Ennis and Sam Cosgrove. Galloway slotted into the defensive trio alongside Scarr and James Wilson while Edwards wore the captain’s armband as he took up the right wingback role, with Mumba on the left.

Ennis replaced Azaz in one of the two attacking positions behind the striker in Argyle’s favoured 3-4-2-1 formation, which on this occasion was Cosgrove. The quartet of Matt Butcher, Hardie, Conor Grant and Nigel Lonwijk all dropped to the substitutes’ bench, where they were joined by 16-year-old Freddie Issaka.

Home Park was sold out for the 70th Football League meeting between Argyle and Exeter and there was an eruption of noise from all four sides of the stadium as the teams took to the pitch.