Plymouth Argyle vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
Home ParkAttendance16,463.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City at Home Park on Saturday | Michael Duff's Swans continue fine run with fine comeback victory.
Saturday 7 October 2023 19:00, UK
Swansea made it four Championship wins on the spin following a 3-1 comeback success at sun-blessed Plymouth.
The icing on the cake came with the Swans' superb 90th-minute breakaway goal, with substitute Liam Walsh playing the ball out to the right to Jamie Paterson on the run.
His precise pass inside enabled Josh Key, who timed his run to perfection, to finish past stranded goalkeeper Conor Hazard as Argyle were committed to attack in search of a leveller.
Sub Ollie Cooper had made it 2-1 with a brilliant 68th-minute long-range strike - a minute after coming on.
Cooper initially collected the ball on the right and exchanged passes with skipper Matt Grimes before unleashing a superb strike from fully 25 yards and into the corner which gave Hazard no chance.
Attacking midfielder Luke Cundle, who spent a spell on loan at Swansea last season, fired Argyle ahead in the 18th minute.
Ryan Hardie broke down the right, beating the offside trap, before cutting back a cross into the penalty area.
The ball was scrambled clear but only into the path of Cundle who side-footed home, first time, into the roof of the net from just inside the left-hand side of the box.
The Swans levelled after 56 minutes having started the second half well.
Paterson crossed to the left where Liam Cullen headed the ball back across the face of goal enabling striker Jerry Yates to bundle it home on the goal-line.
Carl Rushworth made a brilliant one-handed stop, low down, to deny Bali Mumba as he went one-on-one with the keeper on the hour after wriggling through the middle of the penalty area.
Argyle had started the game well with skipper Joe Edwards connecting with a far-post header to greet a sixth-minute corner from the left but Cullen made a brilliant diving headed clearance to deny him.
The Swans responded with Josh Tymon's superb 12th-minute cross from the left into the box skipping past everyone before being cleared at the far post by Macaulay Gillesphey, with Cullen ready to pounce.
Argyle's Northern Ireland keeper Hazard was forced to go full stretch to keep out Cullen's measured strike from the right-hand side of the box after being teed up by Josh Key.
Rushworth and his defenders did well to keep out a string of Argyle shots as the home side pressed for a second in a goalmouth scramble as half-time approached.
Shortly after the break, Rushworth made a brilliant one-handed save from Hardie's rising drive on the run, which seemed destined for the top corner, before two Swansea goals won it for the Welsh side.
Plymouth's Steven Schumacher:
"I thought it was quite an even game and we were probably the better team in the first half.
"They might have edged it second half although even when they went ahead we responded quite well and got into some brilliant areas.
"We had a big chance at 2-1 down, the game could have been two-all and the game's different.
"Then the game could have gone either way because with our crowd behind us in the last 15 minutes who knows?
"Can't fault the lads' effort again. Some of the play to get up to the final third and into the box was excellent. We have just got to be better in both boxes.
"Once you throw everybody forward you are always open to the counter attack and once again they were clinical and took it.
"It's always small margins and we probably should have been more than 1-0 ahead at half-time.
"We had a couple of big chances in the first half that if we score and get a two-goal cushion it gives us something to hang onto.
"All I can ask is that the lads keep showing the same character but a bit more quality."
Swansea's Michael Duff:
"We were good, it was a good game. The thing that probably got us over the line is that we were slightly better in both boxes.
"I enjoy every win, trust me, and I felt we were good value for the three points. They put three on Blackburn down here and six on Norwich, so it is a tough place to come.
"We played on Wednesday and have had two away games this week so to get a nine-point week was really pleasing. We stayed calm at half-time, there was no panic.
"Some of the blocks were brilliant, some of the defending was really good. We talked about being good in both boxes and that is where we win the game ultimately.
"We gave ourselves the opportunity to get back in the game and scored three good goals.
"It was nice when the third goal goes in, it is like a home game then. That's why we took some extra time with the travelling fans at the end because they have done the same journeys as us.
"We travelled six hours last week and four yesterday and moments like that are really important, we will have a few days off now and then we are in.
"Football doesn't owe you anything, we have got a tough one next and we will be plan for that. Enjoy this one, it has been a good away day.
"It was end to end, two teams going for it trying to play the right way."
