Stoke (2) 3 Plymouth 0 – 20/4/24 3pm
Stoke are as good as safe after a gutsy 3-0 win against relegation rivals (& the manager’s ex). Two goals on the stroke of halftime decided this clash. Schumacher can rest easily tonight. Here’s how this firecracker unfolded in real time:
Wow! A 6-pointer grudge-match!! Steven Schumacher ditched Argyle last December. How will their fans react to that??? Was that a boo or a “Schuuu” as Steve walked out? FIVE changes for City; no Burger or Baker, but Cundle and Million. Stoke’s home record and Argyle’s away record are sooo poor. This could end in tears for both sides!
7.01 Plymouth player takes the knee in the centre circle and expects the game to stop for treatment (which it does). Really odd. Finally he’s subbed. Looked like a knee injury.
10.20 McNally charged the length of the pitch to cross…but Million Manhoef too slow to react.
16.35 Good tackle by Thompson on Bundu just outside the box…replay says otherwise though. Jordan was a bit rough!
18.02 Subsequent free kick just brushes the outside of the net as it goes past…so the poor Plymouth fans throught they’d scored!
20.30 Ball in the back of Stoke’s net but the ref had blown long since.
23.40 Hoever ghosts in and hits the underside of the bar from a sharp angle!
25.25 Wilmot yellowed for dissent after a foul whilst trying to score from a corner!
26.30 Meanwhile ref gives a more controversial free kick to Plymouth at the other end…when it probably should have been offside! Stoke break from the Free kick but keeper Cooper saves easily from a soft cross by Tyrese on his trusted left foot.
29.40 Ref initially fails to stop the game after an injury to McNally…and Plymouth players have the gall to protest!! Game getting very animated.
33.55 It’s a brawl! as Million goes down after a clash with the keeper, but Cooper exchanges rudely with Million, and Tyrese charges in. Then it ALL kicks off! Yellow for Cooper & Tyrese & Hoever too…but then further yellow for Mumba as Plymouth argue with ref. Crazy!
42.53 1-0 !!! Set up by Laurent, Hoever charges through the middle and plants on in the corner!
46.50 2-0!! Junho set Manhoef on the edge of the box, & he stroked it home in the far corner.
HT 2-0!! There’s a surprise!
48.30 Tyrese breaks, but he leaves it too late to shoot! How long does he want?? from the subsequent corner, Thompson actually wins a free kick!
Attendance 24674
55.01 Tyrese tries a flying header, but it looks more dramatic than it really is.
61.30 Tyrese goes down outside the area as he breaks, but there’s only the minimum of contact. Free kick is deflected for a corner.
63.40 Niall Ennis on for Tyrese, and within a minute he almost scores, swiping the ball across the 6 yard box.
67.15 Ennis looked like he’d been brought down in the box, but the ref wants something more convincing.
68.30 Alfie Devine yellowed for diving for Argyle, and frankly it looks even worse on the replay!
73.20 Burger on for Cundle, who gets a good response form the crowd.
81.20 Leris on for Million.
92.07 3-0!!! Burger half volleys from a cross from the right by Leris.
FT city 3 argyle 0.
