Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth claimed their first win in five Championship matches after beating bottom-placed Portsmouth 1-0.
Second-half substitute Michael Obafemi scored an 82nd minute solo goal to ignite this south-coast meeting at a sold-out Home Park.
The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland striker muscled Pompey skipper Regan Poole off a long through ball from Argyle keeper Dan Grimshaw before smashing a first time low strike into the corner past keeper Nicolas Schmid.
Argyle had an early scare when Poole had a far-post effort disallowed for offside.
Recalled playmaker Morgan Whittaker set up Argyle’s first attack of substance in the sixth minute with a brilliant break from deep inside his own half, before releasing the ball to Darko Gyabi.
Gyabi – like Whittaker another Rooney recall – sped the ball across the box to Rami Al Hajj, but it skidded off the attacking midfielder.
It took 10 minutes to force a corner but when they did Schmid’s punched clearance only flew as far as Hungarian central defender Kornel Szucs, who acrobatically sent the ball towards the top corner, where the Pompey keeper gathered safely.
Portsmouth had the better of the opening exchanges with left-back Connor Ogilvie’s far-post header saved on the line by Grimshaw as Pompey forced another corner in the 16th minute.
Freddie Potts’ cross from the left after 35 minutes should have been converted but Portsmouth had better fortune with their next foray into Plymouth’s penalty area.
Josh Murphy’s cross, again from the left, was acrobatically headed towards goal by the diving Matt Ritchie, but Grimshaw was equal to the effort.
That seemed to ignite Plymouth and, at the other end, Gyabi went close when he latched on to an Andre Gray goalwards header, first-timing just wide.
Just before half-time Portsmouth midfielder Potts sent a long angled grass-cutter just wide of goal.
Andre Dozzell let fly with a half-volley on the run which flew just over Grimshaw’s bar from 20 yards in the 54th minute and seconds later Kusini Yengi sent an inviting, pacy cross across the face of goal that cried out for a far-post finish.
Argyle’s best opportunity fell to experienced midfielder Jordan Houghton, after he was teed up just inside the box. Houghton kept his shot low and to the corner but Schmid, at full stretch, managed to tip the ball around his post.
A 63rd-minute Whittaker solo effort was ruled out for offside before Obafemi struck to leave Argyle unbeaten in their last five home matches.
Scott Parker spoke of his pride as Burnley moved to the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-1 win at Coventry.Haji Wright controversially opened the scoring after five minutes before Jaidon Anthony scored either side of half-time to make it 27 league games unbeaten for the Clarets.“Immensely proud, a tough place to come, we knew that coming into the game,” said Burnley boss Parker...
Leeds boss Daniel Farke felt his side’s 1-1 draw with struggling Luton at Kenilworth Road was definitely a point gained in their quest to reach the Premier League.The Hatters had taken the lead when Izzy Jones volleyed home his first goal for the club in the 15th minute before Daniel James curled home an equaliser just before the half-hour mark.Manor Solomon missed a glorious late chance to ...
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is looking forward to “one of the most beautiful games in football” against Real Madrid after losing more ground on Premier League champions-elect Liverpool following a 1-1 draw at Everton.The Gunners boss was unhappy with the awarding of the second-half penalty for a soft foul by Myles Lewis-Skelly on Jack Harrison which allowed Iliman Ndiaye to cancel out...
Wycombe head coach Mike Dodds urged his players to rediscover the art of goalscoring after firing a second successive blank in their 1-0 League One defeat at Reading.After a 0-0 home draw against struggling Shrewsbury on Tuesday, Wanderers again failed to find the net and were sunk by a 77th-minute penalty from Harvey Knibbs.The Chairboys now lie six points behind second-placed Wrexham but with a ...
Interim Tranmere boss Andy Crosby said his players would not be getting carried away after his side made it three home wins on the bounce with a 4-0 thrashing of Chesterfield at Prenton Park.Goals from Cameron Norman, Regan Hendry, Josh Davison and Sam Finley did the damage as Rovers put some daylight between themselves and the League Two relegation places.Tranmere have now lost just once in eight...
Everton did near-neighbours Liverpool a favour by taking points off Arsenal in a 1-1 draw but judging by the Gunners’ performance they have already checked out of the title race.With the gap to the leaders still 11 points, Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final at home to Real Madrid has far greater significance for their season and that was reflected in Mikel Arteta’s team sel...
Tranmere returned to winning ways with a convincing 4-0 victory over Chesterfield at Prenton Park to give their League Two survival hopes a massive boost.Four second-half strikes saw Rovers record their third home win on the bounce and end Chesterfield’s six-game unbeaten run.The visitors almost broke the deadlock after 15 minutes but Liam Mandeville saw his close-range effort blocked by the...
Leeds dropped out of the Championship automatic-promotion spots after they were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Luton at Kenilworth Road.Dan James scored a stunning equaliser, cancelling out Izzy Jones’ early opener, but the visitors could not find a winner as they slipped to third in the table.The Whites looked strong in the early stages, trying to take advantage of a slip by Christ Makoss...
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