Argyle sunk by ten-man Hartlepool

Hartlepool United 1

Luke James 55

Plymouth Argyle 0

Sky Bet Football League 2, Saturday 19 October 2013, Victoria Park

A second half goal from Hartlepool striker Luke James decided a match that Argyle should surely have taken something away from to accompany their long trip back home from the north east.

Hartlepool were down to 10 men relatively early in the game when an unhesitating referee (Scott Mathieson) sent off Jack Compton for a dangerous over-the-top tackle on Jamie Reckord in the 26th minute. They might have lost a second man after Matty Dolan's equally nasty looking challenge on Luke Young, but were spared that ignominy.

Argyle had started the game well after John Sheridan fielded an unchanged starting 11, showing faith in the side that had sealed a creditable point against Portsmouth last weekend.

Hartlepool had won three successive away games, including the 3-0 demolition of Exeter last Saturday, but were on the defensive for large parts of the game.

Their goal arrived against the run of play and thereafter the Pilgrims threw everything at them, but were met with a resilient defence and, in Scott Flinders, a goalkeeper in good form.

Plymouth came close on several occasions but as the game reached its final stages, their attacking verve started to wane.

Argyle remain 19th but seven games without a win tells a story of plenty of effort but too few goals.

Hartlepool United (4-4-2): 1 Scott Flinders; 21 Michael Duckworth (5 Sam Collins 90), 6 Jack Baldwin, 35 Christian Burgess, 2 Neil Austin (capt); 14 Jack Compton, 8 Simon Walton, 4 Matty Dolan, 11 Andy Monkhouse; 10 James Poole (19 Jordan Richards 71), 33 Luke James (7 Jonathan Franks 90). Substitutes (not used): 13 Andy Rafferty (gk), 15 Antony Sweeney, 23 Nialle Rodney, 38 Bradley Walker.

Sent off: Compton 26.

Booked: Poole 13, Dolan 34.

Plymouth Argyle (3-5-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 4 Max Blanchard, 16 Neal Trotman, 17 Curtis Nelson; 2 Durrell Berry (27 Andres Gurrieri 67), 14 Luke Young, 8 Rommy Boco, 6 Conor Hourihane (capt), 28 Jamie Reckord (3 Andre Blackman 56); 9 Reuben Reid, (7 Lewis Alessandra 52), 19 Paul Hayes. Substitutes (not used): 1 Jake Cole (gk), 15 Paul Wotton, 18 Tyler Harvey, 20 Hamza Bencherif.

Booked: Young 37.

Referee: Scott Mathieson.

Attendance: 3,929 (273 away).