Plymouth Argyle vs Preston North End. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End at Home Park on Saturday; Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims side earn stunning comeback point from three goals down against Lilywhites
Saturday 26 October 2024 18:20, UK
Plymouth staged a brilliant second-half fightback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Preston.
North End led through goals by Sam Greenwood, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and Brad Potts and were set to pile pressure on Argyle boss Wayne Rooney.
The hosts had other ideas, though, as Freddie Issaka and late goals from Andre Gray and Morgan Whittaker pulled them back level.
On-loan Leeds striker Greenwood fired North End ahead on 16 minutes, reacting first when Argyle 'keeper Dan Grimshaw parried Kaine Kesler-Hayden's thumping strike following a run past two defenders.
Midfielder Adam Randell was caught on the ball midway inside his own half in the 21st minute by Preston's Emil Riis and Greenwood was quick to respond, latching on to a through-ball to flash a shot just wide of goal.
Danish striker Riis came close to making it 2-0 in the 27th minute but his soaring shot from the angle of the box flew just over after he was put in on goal by Robbie Brady. It was Brady's last meaningful involvement as he limped off in the 30th minute, replaced by Potts.
Preston continued to press and Riis beat marker Victor Palsson with clever footwork before forcing Grimshaw into a near-post save on 33 minutes.
Whittaker cut inside from the Plymouth right to try his luck with a characteristic left-foot shot on 38 minutes but his effort was blocked.
When Randell was again caught on the ball on the halfway line, North End took full advantage to move the ball quickly and score a second goal in the third and final minute of first-half stoppage time. Riis threaded the ball through to Frokjaer-Jensen who swept it past Grimshaw.
North End surged further ahead in the 48th minute when on-loan Aston Villa man Kesler-Hayden put substitute Potts through and he beat Joe Edwards and lofted the ball over Grimshaw.
It could have been four but for Grimshaw saving from Greenwood on 53 minutes after Potts' pass released the striker.
Plymouth pulled a goal back from Randell's 54th-minute free-kick from 20 yards, which Freddie Woodman could only parry into the path of Issaka who finished first time.
On 82 minutes Argyle pulled another goal back when substitute Gray headed home a brilliant deep cross from the left by Bali Mumba at the far post, back across 'keeper Woodman.
In the first of six minutes of stoppage time Argyle sub Darko Gyabi - on loan from Leeds - headed just over the bar from Kornel Szucs' deep cross.
Argyle playmaker Whittaker levelled in the second minute of stoppage time, smashing home a cut-back from substitute Mustapha Bundu.
Woodman made a brilliant diving save in the fifth minute of stoppage time to keep out Gray's goalbound shot as Argyle went in search of an unlikely winner.
Plymouth's Wayne Rooney:
"I am angry because that performance is nowhere near good enough. We were easy to play against. Obviously I am pleased we drew the game but I can't accept that performance.
"I am frustrated but even at 3-0 you can turn a game and I tried to get more attackers into the box, but we didn't do that at first.
"The last three games we have hit a bit of a blip but we need to get out of it. The one thing I never question with the players is their character. We need to learn the little nuances of the game.
"It was a good game for Freddie and there's a lot for him to learn today. He got his rewards for following in the free-kick.
"It could have been worse if it wasn't for Dan (Grimshaw, goalkeeper). I felt for him today because of how easy it was for them to get through us and get shots off. It was schoolboy defending really.
"I think the fans had every right to boo at half-time but then when they saw us pushing and making changes and getting more balls in the box you could feel the atmosphere growing. I was delighted for them we got a point.
"It was important to stop losing after the last two games. You hope yet get a goal because you know that can alter the momentum, swing the game."
Preston's Paul Heckingbottom:
"It's one that got away, without a doubt. Took the shine off a really good performance. We need to make sure we look back and take the positives from the game. We let them in there - and we need to learn from it.
"We had opportunities all game, when Plymouth went 3-1 we had better chances, when it was 3-2 we had better chances.
"We had enough experience on there to see the game out. At 3-0 we had more than enough on the pitch to keep a clean sheet.
"It's how we use this. It was a lot of little things that added up at the end of the game that put us under pressure.
"Even when we conceded the goal we had an opportunity to go up the other end and get a fourth but we didn't and that cost us in the end.
"Disappointed we didn't control more of the ball when we had it. We want to keep building and be more of a threat in the game. The two or three [times] we switched off, they capitalised."
