Argyle 4 Carlisle 1: Match report

AS has been pointed out before this week, Carlisle is a lot nearer Ross County than Plymouth, so there was something poetic that three former Staggies were to the fore of Argyle’s ultimately emphatic opening home victory of the 2015-16 campaign.

Their first goal, which came just before half-time when Argyle were decidedly second best in the game, was scored by Jake Jervis on his return to the Pilgrims’ side, as was the fourth just 23 minutes later, and Graham Carey netted the third as well as setting up one of Jervis’s goals and Reuben Reid’s game-relaxing second.

Credit, too, to their former manager at Dingwall’s Victoria Park. The margin of victory was helped in no small part by Derek Adams’ tactical change at half-time which swung the balance of a contest that the visitors had shaded up until that point well and truly towards the Pilgrims. “Scottish Mourinho” seems almost insulting, given the Special One’s current failings at the Bridge.

Adams had produced a rabbit from his managerial hat before the game, when he handed in the Pilgrims’ team sheet containing Jervis’s name.

The 23-year-old suffered a groin injury in the previous week’s Capital One Cup game against Gillingham, missed the subsequent League match against Portsmouth, and appeared to have been ruled out of a comeback against Carlisle by the manager on the eve of the game.

However, there he was, large as life, when the two teams kicked off, with young Reading loan player Craig Tanner returning to the substitutes’ bench after a couple of promising appearances and one very special goal.

Carlisle arrived at Home Park undefeated after a 1-1 draw at Mansfield and a 4-4 stalemate at home to Cambridge United in the League, and a 3-1 extra-time home defeat of ten-man League 1 Chesterfield in the Capital One Cup.

They included a front pairing of Jabo Ibehre, whose four goals in the two draws saw him come into the game as League 2’s joint-leading scorer, and Charlie Wyke, a sometime target of Adams’ predecessor John Sheridan.

The opening quarter produced little to excite or concern. The greatest impact was made by Carlisle midfielder Luke Joyce’s knee when it smashed into Gary Sawyer’s face, accidently, after the Argyle defender had gone to ground to execute a tackle. After some relatively long attention from physio Paul Atkinson and club doctor Paul Giles, Sawyer groggily continued.

Despite some typical promptings from Carey, Argyle were unable to find anything to match Gregg Wylde’s break down the left in the opening minute which ended with the two-goal Scot smashing a shot over the goal from a tight angle.

Carlisle compounded the growing frustrations of the players and Green Army alike when Ibehre escaped his marker in the centre of the penalty area and headed a deep cross from the influential Joyce past Luke McCormick in the Argyle goal, but the ball struck the post and fell safe.

Carey, who had already tried his luck from long range with a shot that went wide, then had another go but, although the radar had been tuned, was unable to curl the effort around United goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.

The Irishman had a third attempt before half-time when a patient build-up ended with Jervis teeing him up for a strike that Gillespie comfortably grasped, but the better chances were being created by the visitors. First, Peter Hartley blocked a close-range shot from Kennedy after Angelo Balanta’s driven cross; then Joyce whistled a drive past McCormick’s left-hand post with the Argyle custodian struggling to make the necessary ground.

The Pilgrims relieved the pressure in the best possible manner. Jervis, who had switched flanks with Wylde, stole the ball on the left touchline and made great strides inside and towards the penalty area. As the United defenders obligingly backed off, he unleashed a dipping, swerving shot that flew past Gillespie into the top corner of the Barn Park goal.

Of the five goals scored by the Pilgrims up to that point this season, the nearest to a tap-in had been Wylde’s left-foot volley against Portsmouth from about 15 yards.

The Argyle defence trod a tightrope as they waited for the break. Successive long throws from Tom Miller caused palpitations, and Balanta should have done better from the second one than slash at the ball and send it looping over the crossbar.