Bristol Rovers 2 Plymouth Argyle 1: Match report

Bristol Rovers 2
Gaffney 22, Bodin 62

Argyle 1
Blissett 52

"I can take the despair; it's the hope I cant stand."

Stop me if you have heard it. Argyle fall behind in the first half, then rally, equalise and get in the ascendency, only for a breakway goal and a red card to scupper everything.

Bristol Rovers won a topsy-turvy affair at the Memorial Ground, and over the 90 minutes, deserved to. They led midway through the first half thanks to Rory Gaffney's merited opener, but Argyle finished the hald strongly, and powered back at Rovers after the interval. Nathan Blissett equalised, and the Pilgrims looked poised to challenge for all three points.

Billy Bodin though, fired home what would ultimately be the winning goal just two minutes before Gary Miller was sent off for a two-footed tackle.

From there, Rovers took over, inexplicably failing to add to their tally of goals, then allowing a late chance to level. Alas, they could not, and can take the relatively short distance home as the day's only real consolation.

Derek Adams' response to a Tuesday night injury to right-winger Lionel Ainsworth was to bring back fit-again Jake Jervis into the starting line-up. On the other flank Gregg Wylde, who had replaced Lionel in midweek, started the game at the expense of Joel Grant, who dropped to the bench.

Rovers began the game with a variant on a 4-4-2 that saw a pair of midfielders formerly of Devon rivals set-up to inflict damage from the flanks. Billy Bodin, once of Torquay United, began on the right, with former Exeter City man Liam Sercombe operating from the left. Both men, with protection from central duo Ollie Clarke and Chris Lines, would continually drift from their starting positions to look for space.

Sercombe was the first to find it, admittedly 15 minutes into a slow-starting game. His curling effort from 20 yards was well pushed round by Kyle Letheren, as Argyle looked to keep Rovers at arms reach.

The Pilgrims first real prolonged foray into Pirate territory saw several crosses repelled before Graham Carey picked out Jervis at the far post. Jake's knock-down looked well set for a Jamie Ness effort from the edge of the area, but Lines nipped in there first to pilfer the chance.

Rovers' front two of Ellis Harrison and Rory Gaffney showed signs of being a strike partnership with a strong understanding, and set about combining to hurt Argyle. First Gaffner fed Harrison, who had a shot blocked, before Harrison repaid the compliment, only to see Gaffney shoot wide from an acute angle.

At the third attempt, though, they got it right. Harrison burst down the right channel and centred low to Gaffney, who controlled the ball, took his time, then drove low into the net.

Argyle's first chances to respond came via former Rovers man Nathan Blissett. Firstly, a backpass to home goalkeeper Sam Slocombe was rather underhit, giving Blissett a chance to close down. He was extremely close to blocking Slocombe's hurried clearance. Then, Wylde picked a pocket in midfield and set away down the left. His chipped cross was behind Blissett, but the forward twisted his body to head on goal, only to see it fly over.

Adams, possibly with half an eye on a similar switch when behind at Southend, altered his midfield to bring Carey to the right flank and push Jervis up front with Blissett. Some movement between Carey and Jervis teed up Ness to drive over the bar, as Argyle began to remind everyone that they were taking part in this game.

Carey was next to try his luck from range, wriggling into space following a Jervis flick-on, only to shoot wide. Then Wylde, after Carey's free-kick was partially headed away, did not quite catch a volley. Slocombe was hardly being tested, but the frequency in which Argyle were approaching his goal was an encouraging sign.

Following a Rovers corner in which Argyle hearts fluttered as it took several attempts to block and clear inside the box, they created their best chance of the half. A crossfield ball found Blissett having pulled onto the full-back, and his header down nearly fell  perfectly for the arrival of Sarcevic. Somehow, a blue and white toe met the ball first, cannoned the ball against Sarcevic, and out for a goal-kick.

Read the full match report here.