Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Stockport County: FLW reports as Pilgrims beat Hatters in six-goal thriller | OneFootball

All the action as Plymouth Argyle hosted Stockport County in League One.

Plymouth Argyle won a six-goal thriller at Home Park, as they beat Stockport County 4-2 in an enthralling game, which was a hugely deserved result for the Pilgrims.

Both teams were quick out of the blocks, with tackles flying in, but it was the home side who drew first blood, when striker Kyle Wootton headed past his own keeper from a Matty Sorinola corner.

Caleb Watts then made sure the sustained Argyle pressure counted by thumping home a wonderful strike from the edge of the box to make it 2-0, before Ollie Norwood got Stockport back in the contest on the stroke of half-time via the penalty spot.

Just after half-time, Bradley Ibrahim restored the hosts' advantage with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box, before Lorent Tolaj added the fourth 15 minutes from time, from a lovely Luca Ashby-Hammond long ball.

Wootton added a second for Stockport deep into stoppage time, but it was Argyle's day, as they rounded out convincing 4–2 winners over the promotion hopefuls.

Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Stockport County

It was a fairly even opening five minutes, with both sides forcing corners which ultimately set the tone for what looked to be an end-to-end contest between Argyle and Stockport.

Norwood fired a free-kick from range a long way over the bar, before Alex Mitchell was carded for a nasty tackle on Jayden Fevrier. The subsequent free-kick was cleared well by the home side.

It was a really viscous start to the game, as tackles were flying in, with Argyle left feeling hard done by when Callum Connolly pretty much had Tolaj in a chokehold at the byline, which was missed by referee Neil Hair.

Fevrier, who was a victim of a powerful challenge earlier in the contest, then left one in on Sorinola, who required treatment, but again Hair refused to brandish a card for the Stockport man.

Plymouth then grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, and got what was a deserved lead 25 minutes in. Sorniola's corner was headed backwards by Wootton into his own net, leaving Corey Addai rooted to the spot.

The Greens made their early advantage count, and looked seriously strong going forward. This saw them double their advantage once again from a corner, as the ball found Watts on the edge of the box, who smashed it home with a stunning strike.

Plymouth nearly gifted the visitors a silly way back into the game on the stroke of half-time. Bali Mumba's wayward backpass for Ashby-Hammond was instead picked up by Brendan Wiredu, who dribbled across his own goalmouth under pressure, before defensive colleague Mitchell could step in to clear it.

It was all happening in the dying embers of the second half, as County were awarded a penalty after Bradley Ibrahim was judged to have hauled down Nathan Lowe. Norwood stepped up and did what he does best, giving his side a way back into the game.

The sides went into the interval with Argyle ahead by two goals to one. It's fair to say that Hair didn't get the warmest of receptions when he blew the whistle after his late penalty call.

Just after the resumption of the second half, Tom Cleverley's side made it a hat-trick of goals from corners. A nicely worked short routine found Ibrahim on the edge of the box, who's low-driven strike kissed the post on its way into the bottom left corner.

Tolaj then almost bagged his first league goal in green when Mumba burst into the box. The Swiss striker threw himself at the cross, but didn't quite get enough contact on the ball, which saw it take a deflection off Ben Osborn and saved by Addai.

Ibrahim then almost had his second, as he again linked up with Mumba and shimmied his way into the box. His low-driven shot beat Addai, who was grateful to see it whistle past the post.

The former Arsenal man was at it again, as he thundered another effort from the edge of the box, which would've been the pick of the bunch, but the Hatters keeper was on hand to just about get enough behind the ball to stop it flying in.

Stockport skipper Norwood then gave Ashby-Hammond his first call into action of the second half. A strike from range had to be kicked away by the former Fulham stopper.

With 15 minutes left, Tolaj got that first league goal in green he'd been craving, latching onto a long ball from Ashby-Hammond, driving forwards, and calmly stroking past Addai to send Home Park wild.

Deep into injury time, Wootton got his second of the match, but the first in the opposition's net, striking home from inside the box for a meaningless consolation goal.

That would prove to be the last action of the match, as Cleverley's side saw out the final minutes of stoppage time comfortably, earning themselves a dominant and eye-catching three points over a promotion contender.

The Pilgrims needed to bounce back from last week's humiliation at Cardiff, and did so in emphatic style. As for Challinor's side, it was another tough performance and result to try and dissect, with plenty to improve on.

Plymouth Argyle player ratings

L. Ashby-Hammond - 7

J. Edwards - 6

K. Szucs - 7

A. Mitchell - 7

M. Sorinola - 7

B. Wiredu - 6 (M. Ross 81'(6))

M. Boateng - 8

B. Ibrahim - 9

C. Watts - 8 (O. Dale 74'(6))

B. Mumba - 8 (A. Benarous 90'(N/A))

L. Tolaj - 7 (O. Oseni 81'(6))

Unused substitutes: Z. Baker, C. Roberts, T. Finn

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Stockport County player ratings

C. Addai - 5

J. Fevrier - 5 (M. Mothersille 60'(6))

T. Onyango - 6 (C. O'Keefe 66'(6))

C. Connolly - 5

E. Pye - 6

B. Osborn - 6

O. Norwood - 7

O. Moxon - 6 (O. Bailey 87'(6))

J. Diamond - 6

K. Wootton - 5

N. Lowe - 6 (L. Fiorini 87'(6))

Unused substitutes: B. Hinchcliffe, J. Olowu, B. Hills

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Match attendance

There were 15,719 fans present at Home Park on Saturday afternoon to watch Plymouth triumph over Stockport, including 628 away supporters.

Tom Cleverley reacts as Plymouth bounce back from Cardiff City defeat in style

Speaking to PlymouthLive after his side's emphatic victory over Stockport, Argyle boss Cleverley said: "[It was a] terrific performance. We have been doing a little bit of work on performance levels rather than be totally obsessed with results. I think that's important we don't get too bogged down by our form in the league.

"Obviously, it's really important, but I think that was maybe affecting mindset: 'Why are we winning in the cup, why are we not winning in the league?'

"I just put it on the players today. It was all about performance and doing the things we work on to the best of their ability, and I thought the lads did it fantastically well. They deserve all the credit.

"Three goals from set pieces, two were short corners we worked on. A brilliant team performance, we managed the game well, and I couldn't be prouder of the lads."

Dave Challinor reacts as Stockport fall to heavy defeat

Speaking to the Hexham Courant after the match, a deflated Stockport boss Challinor said: “Horrific goals that we’ve conceded. When you concede one of them, it’s difficult. When you concede four of them, it’s impossible.

“So, regardless of how you play and what the game looks like, tactically, if you see the goals that we’ve conceded, we won’t win the game.

“It hurts. What I would say is some people will make mistakes, I get that. People aren’t infallible. But we can’t make the mistakes that we made.

“After you get a lifeline at the end of the first half, you then go and kick yourselves in the foot right at the start the second.

“For our second goal Plymouth had dropped off. There’ll be a positive in the fact that, yeah, it’s a good ball through a good touch and a good finish, but in the grand scheme things, that’s not a huge positive.

“I think first off, we wanted to press and wanted to be aggressive, and we were that. There wasn’t much in the game.

“Then it just came down to the fact that we made poor mistakes that give the goals away.”