Home Park Tuesday 25th April 2023
Plymouth Argyle 2
Ennis (51), Gillesphey (57)
Bristol Rovers 0
Referee: Craig Hicks Attendance: 16,254
Manager Joe Barton made five changes for the visit to Home Park to take on league leaders Plymouth Argyle.
James Belshaw returned in goal, while there were recalls for Jarell Quansah, John Marquis, Luca Hoole and Antony Evans while the players to make way were Jed Ward, James Connolly, James Gibbons, Sam Finley and Scott Sinclair.
Aaron Collins, voted League One’s best player just two days earlier, was making his 100th appearance, in all competitions, for Rovers, and was surprisingly handed the captain’s armband after Barton said just a few weeks back he wouldn’t skipper the side again!
A fast and furious start to the game saw Evans booked for chopping down the tricky Bali Mumba and shortly afterwards Callum Wright headed over from Macaulay Gillesphey’s free kick.
Collins thought he might have won his side a penalty with 25 minutes on the clock but replays of the incident showed that referee Craig Hicks was right not to award a spot kick.
Two minutes later, and with the game shaping up to be a fascinating contest another foul by Evans, this time on Danny Mayor, saw the returning midfielder collect a second yellow, and subsequent red, card.
From the moment Evans left the pitch almost everyone in the ground realised it was game over for Barton’s side and the manager himself collected a yellow card on 34 minutes for protesting too much; about what, I have no idea!
Mumba might have opened the scoring before the break, but he saw two efforts saved by the overworked James Belshaw while Argyle skipper Joe Edwards headed wide of the target when well placed and Wright was denied a goal by Quansah’s timely block two minutes before the break.
Barton, who had sent on Finley just after the half hour mark, made another substitution at the start of the second half, taking off Collins and replacing him with Gibbons.
It wouldn’t have mattered what he had done, as the Green Army sensed blood and their heroes out on the pitch took the game by the scruff of the neck and made the breakthrough they craved on 51 minutes when Rovers gave Niall Ennis too much time when the ball was delivered in from the right by James Wilson and he punished them with a finely executed overhead kick that beat Belshaw’s despairing dive before nestling in the back of the net.
Gibbons almost conjured up an unexpected equaliser three minutes later, but when played in by Finley he dragged a ferocious shot wide of the upright.
Rovers were soon under pressure again, though, as Belshaw touched a shot from Wright over the bar and then saved from Joe Edwards before poor marking again cost Rovers dearly.
There were 57 minutes on the clock when Gillesphey met Butcher’s corner from the right and rose unchallenged to direct his header past Belshaw to make it 2-0.
Belshaw rescued Rovers again just after the hour mark when he touched away a shot from Edwards and although substitute Ryan Loft managed Rovers’ first shot on target in time added on, Rovers ended the night well beaten by a very good Plymouth side who need just two more points to confirm their promotion to the Championship.
Plymouth Argyle: Burton, Wilson, Scarr, Gillesphey, Edwards, Butcher (Houghton, 71), Randell, Mumba (Cosgrove, 85), Wright (Matete, 71), Ennis (Hardie, 62), Mayor (Azaz, 46).
Substitutes: Parkes, Lonwijk.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Hoole (Connolly, 60), Quansah, Gibson (Loft, 60), Gordon, Ward (G), Evans, Bogarde, Marquis (Anderson, 74), Collins (Gibbons, 46), Coburn (Finley, 33).
Substitutes: Ward (J), Sinclair.
ALSO
Former Rovers player Mark Hughes, a member of the Plymouth Argyle management team, saw his current club take on his former club for the fourth time this season
Yellow cards were issued to Antony Evans (2), Ryan Loft and manager Joe Barton
A red card was issued to Antony Evans
Five substitutes used
Eight added minutes
(photos courtesy of JMP)
Keith Brookman