Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Blackburn Rovers: Finn Azaz, Ryan Hardie and Luke Cundle net in victory

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between ... Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers at Home Park as Finn Azaz, Ryan Hardie and Luke Cundle sealed victory for the home side.

Saturday 2 September 2023 18:50, UK

Ryan Hardie scored before turning provider as Plymouth comfortably beat Blackburn 3-0 at Home Park.

Promoted Argyle's top-scorer took his tally to four goals in five Sky Bet Championship games in the 77th minute when Rovers goalkeeper Aynsley Pears failed to hold Callum Wright's shot to let Hardie sweep home from close range.

In the 80th minute Scottish striker Hardie was instrumental in Argyle's third goal, winning an aerial ball as Pears headed out Argyle keeper Conor Hazard's clearance.

The ball fell to on-loan Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle, on as a second-half substitute, and he deftly lobbed the ball over Pears.

The game turned on its head in the 27th minute when Finn Azaz's deflected shot from outside the penalty area wrongfooted Pears.

Midfielder Azaz, on loan from Aston Villa, latched on to a pass by playmaker Morgan Whittaker 20 yards out and his first-time effort appeared to spin off Adam Wharton and go past helpless Pears.

Rovers will have rued missing opportunities after dominating until that point.

Ryan Hedges had the best opportunity to open the scoring for Rovers in the sixth minute after latching on to an incisive pass from striker Sam Gallagher.

Hedges was one-on-one with Hazard but sidefooted wide of the Argyle keeper and the goal from 12 yards out.

In a rare counter-attack, Hardie fired over from range after being teed up by midfielder Adam Randell in the 11th minute.

A minute later Gallagher - who hails from Crediton in Devon - looked set to score with a thumping header from a Hedges cross but Hazard acrobatically turned the ball over his bar.

Argyle finally got a foothold in the match in the 22nd minute with another effective break.

Whittaker put Hardie away down the right and his far-post cross was brilliantly headed downwards and goalwards by incoming winger Bali Mumba.

Pears was equal to the effort at the foot of the post, just managing to turn the ball around for a corner.

Azaz's goal gave Argyle confidence and Pears had to again turn the ball around his post in the 34th minute following a mazy run and shot by Whittaker down the right and along the byline.

Impressive livewire Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics caught hold of a loose ball yards out and brought a smart save from Hazard.

Again Argyle countered, with Whittaker's deft strike again turned around his post by a diving Pears at full stretch.

Randell's measured curling shot in the 54th minute went just over before skipper Joe Edwards went close with a similar effort on the hour, ahead of a spate of substitutions.

Hedges was unlucky not to get on the end of a cross in the 63rd minute.

Rovers went in search of a leveller with Hayden Carter coming the closest to scoring as his deflected shot spun up on to the top of the bar in the 70th minute.

The managers

Plymouth's Steven Schumacher:

"It's a huge three points for us. It gives us seven points from our first five games in the Championship, we can all be quite pleased with that.

"We go into the international break having got maximum points today, which is important.

"We have won the game probably without playing our best. We played better in our last two league games and on Tuesday night in the cup and haven't got anything from those games.

"It's a funny old game football. Blackburn were a really tough opponent and for us to get three points from it? It's a huge win.

"I really like them. They are a good, well-organised, fit, young squad and have caused everyone they have played so far this season problems and they caused us problems today.

"In the first half they had more energy than us and played with a better tempo. We were half a yard off them and they were the better team and we scored against the run of play.

"At half-time we spoke about being a little more aggressive, we changed our press slightly and with the chances we created in the second half we were clinical, which - as everyone has seen so far - hugely important in the Championship."

Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:

"We all know how important the first goal is. We had the chances to score the first goal, they scored the first goal from a deflection.

"I don't think it is a fair scoreline if you look at the game, not at all. If you look up until the 75th minute, I was thinking, 'how is it possible we are not leading this game?'.

"We played some great football but at the end of the day, it is about putting the ball in the goal. We had the opportunities.

"The first goal they scored was a deflection and we all know how difficult it is to come here. I think they won 20 out of 23 home games last season. So it's a good record.

"To create that many opportunities in the final third was good, but of course we are extremely disappointed with the result.

"I am disappointed we couldn't give the fans one or three points. The first goal was extremely unlucky, it was a deflection and our deflected shot hit the bar. But if you make mistakes when you are a striker it is different than if you make mistakes at the back."