Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Port Vale: FLW reports as 10 man Pilgrims keep play-off hopes alive | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle hosted Port Vale in their final home game of the League One season.

10-man Plymouth Argyle secured a 2-1 win over already relegated Port Vale, thanks to a Bim Pepple brace.

The first 20 minutes of the contest were absolute chaos. Plymouth took the lead through Pepple just three minutes in, only to be reduced to 10-men moments later when Conor Hazard handled the ball outside his box.

Vale equalised after 13 minutes from a Connor Hall header at the back post, but the home crowd were left furious at referee Isaac Searle, as he missed a blatant handball from Jahiem Headley in the build up to the goal.

History repeated itself at the start of the second half, with Pepple giving Plymouth the lead three minutes in. The striker netted his second of the afternoon with an excellent finish from outside the box.

That would prove to be the decisive goal in the fixture, as the 10 men of Argyle held firm, securing three points and taking their play-off fight to the final day of the season.

Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Port Vale

Argyle needed less than three minutes to take the lead. Ex-Valiant Lorent Tolaj's perfectly-weighted pass sent Pepple one-on-one with Joe Gauci, and the Canadian made no mistake with the finish, slotting calmly into the bottom right corner.

Three minutes later, disaster struck. Hazard was caught out by a long ball forward from Vale, using his hands outside the box to bat it away. Referee Searle reached straight for his back pocket, sending the Argyle keeper for an early bath.

Vale levelled the contest less than 10 minutes later. A corner which came from a Headley handball was recycled into the box and nodded in at the back stick by Hall.

Tolaj tried his luck with an acrobatic effort as the clock hit 25 minutes. The Swiss striker met Owen Dale's cross with an overhead kick, but the ball hung in the air before dropping just wide of Gauci's far post.

Substitute goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond prevented former Argyle forward Ben Waine from giving Vale the lead five minutes later with a strong stop down to his left, tipping the Kiwi's strike from range behind for a corner.

The final 15 minutes of the first half were much calmer than the previous 30, with both sides mustering chances, but neither were able to find the back of the net before Searle blew for halftime.

Lightning struck twice at the start of the second half, with Pepple giving the Pilgrims the lead three minutes in. Some brilliant work from Dale freed the Canadian, whose left-footed strike hit the bottom right corner from outside the box.

You wouldn't have thought Argyle had 10 men with the way they were playing. Tom Cleverley's side were in total control going forward, and almost had a third when Tolaj headed just wide from eight-yards out.

Two ex-Valiants then linked up just past the hour mark to test Gauci once again. Curtis nodded in Tolaj from an Ashby-Hammond goal-kick, but the Vale keeper was equal to the forward's powerful drive at his near post.

Pepple almost secured his hat-trick in style with 20 minutes left to play. Another brilliant ball forward from Ashby-Hammond was miscontrolled by a Vale defender, allowing the striker to send a volley towards goal, which narrowly flew over the bar.

A heart-in-mouth moment came for Argyle in stoppage time as a powerful strike from the edge of the box took multiple deflections, sending Ashby-Hammond scrambling the wrong way, but the ball fortunately rolled harmlessly behind.

The Green Army were in tremendous voice, with "Green and White barmy army" blared by the 16,000-strong home contingency throughout stoppage time, before Searle's whistle was met by a cheer that could be heard all the way from Cornwall.

The 10 men of Argyle ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a special brace from Pepple, and a mammoth defensive display, keeping their hopes of securing a play-off place alive until the final day, but heavily reliant on other results.

Plymouth Argyle player ratings

Port Vale player ratings

J. Gauci - 5

O. Hernandez - 6

J. Gabriel - 6

C. Humphreys - 6

C. Hall - 6 (L. Gordon 46'(5))

J. Headley - 6 (D. Brown 80'(5))

R. Croasdale - 5 (R. Walters 56'(5))

J. Shipley - 6 (G. Ward 56'(5))

E. Archer - 5 (G. Hall 71'(5))

B. Waine - 6

M. Sherif - 5

Unused substitutes: B. Amos, T. Magloire

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Match attendance

There were 16,129 fans present at Home Park on the glorious April afternoon, with a respectable 355 making the long journey down with Port Vale.

Tom Cleverley full of pride as 10-man Plymouth Argyle keep play-off hopes alive

Speaking to the press post-match, Argyle boss Cleverley said: "“It’s all been about believing. To take it to the last game? I am loving it.

“We got off to a dream start – we have been doing work on those moments when we regain the ball.

“The slide pass and finish were excellent. The sending off changes the game. Then it all became about determination and grit.

“We decided to keep two strikers on and dug in, with the help of our supporters.

“I am super, super proud of the players. To still create chances like we did, to defend like we did.

“It’s a huge win for us in our ambitions. For more than 90 minutes with 10 players – I am so proud of the players.

“On Monday we’ll see what the players are like. I think physically everyone came through well.

“I think maybe [against] Huddersfield and Cardiff the fans were fantastic – but that today was something else: dragging their team over the line, and we needed that.

“The players give everything they have got and then they realise with the supporters behind them they have got a little bit more.

“We will have bad times in the future but we have shown together we can get out of it.”

Jon Brady cites difference in attacking quality as key factor in Port Vale's defeat in Devon

Speaking to the press post-match, Port Vale boss Jon Brady said: Overall we have had some chances within the game, just the quality is lacking in that final pass, that final ball.

“Their keeper [Luca Ashby-Hammond] made an unbelievable save from [Ryan] Croasdale in the first half.

“And just near the end, Grant Ward’s great effort just trickles by the post.

“But in that final third, decision-making when we get in and around the box. A better pass when we are trying to shoot into blocking bodies.

“Lack of quality in those moments, you have got to find that extra pass.

“I talked to them at halftime about it, but five games in 12 days? Players are breaking.

“Physically we go to a backline that really struggles against their front two, Tolaj and Bim Pepple.

“And there’s the difference – their front line – that is a huge difference. They spend big money on their front line and they go and get quality. That’s the difference in the game.

“Their midfield ran all over us to be fair as well and have got to address it next season. We want to be the best version of ourselves in League Two.”