Promotion contenders shocked by bottom-table stragglers

 

High-flying Stockport County were set for a challenging 300-mile away trip against a side still recovering from their shock relegation last campaign, writes Saad Nazir.

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Saad Nazir

The contrasting fortunes of the two teams after the first six rounds of the season were stark: Stockport remained unbeaten in five with 11 points, while Plymouth Argyle had endured their worst start since 2011, losing five of their opening six games.

For their 24th head-to-head meeting—and first since 2004—Plymouth were desperate to kick-start their bid for an instant return to the Championship.

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Stockport seized the early initiative, forcing play into Plymouth’s half and earning a couple of set-piece opportunities. Meanwhile, Plymouth struggled to settle. It looked like another long afternoon where they would be handed their seventh loss of the campaign.

But the Pilgrims had other ideas. Led by the tenacity of their manager, the ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, they refused to wilt. Their pressing and energy began to turn the tide. With their home crowd pushing them on, they grabbed the first goal against the run of play.

Good dribbling led to a corner on the left side, and the looping delivery was bundled into their own net. Stockport were rattled by the goal and the questionable decision that ended with their bulky striker Kyle Wootton’s own goal seeing Plymouth take a 1-0 lead.

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With the momentum and the fans behind them, they sniffed a second and soon got the reward for their brave approach. Another short corner on the left ended with Caleb Watts on the edge of the area, and his rasping drive placed the ball into the far corner of the goal.

At this point, the only thing that could stop Plymouth was themselves. And they did just that. A careless passage of play gifted Stockport a penalty following a corner melee. Despite furious protests, the referee stood firm. Captain Ollie Norwood dispatched the penalty and helped end the first half with all to play for in the second.

The home team felt hard done by that decision on the brink of half-time, and they came out energized and with a point to prove after the break ended.

Within minutes, a neat interplay freed Bradley Ibrahim, who let fly from 20 yards, and his effort ended in the goal off the inside of the near post to restore Plymouth’s two-goal cushion.

Smelling blood in the water, the hosts persisted. Their approach proved to be the right one, as they scored the fourth goal. After fluffing a counter-attack opportunity, they eventually got it through their number nine, Lorent Tolaj. A long ball by the goalkeeper, Ashby-Hammond was taken down perfectly by the striker, and with his next touch, he buried it with a measured finish for his first goal of the league season.

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In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Wootton added a bit of respect to the scoreline and made amends for the own goal earlier to take the score to 4-2.

When Stockport County manager Dave Challinor said after their first six fixtures that his team still needed to improve, he sounded believable — and never more so than now. They will have the chance to show that improvement when Cardiff visit next Saturday. As for Plymouth, they will be hoping their next fixture against Luton Town comes quicker than next week.

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