Stoke City vs Plymouth Argyle. Sky Bet Championship.
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Stoke City 0-0 Plymouth Argyle: Mark Robins earns point in first Potters game
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday; Mark Robins earns point in first game in charge of Potters against managerless Pilgrims.
Saturday 4 January 2025 16:27, UK
Mark Robins started life as Stoke boss with a 0-0 draw against managerless Plymouth.
The game marked the third season in a row where the Potters began a calendar year with a new manager, with Alex Neil in 2023 and Steven Schumacher last term.
Saturday afternoon's stalemate means battling Argyle have still never won at Stoke in the Football League, a run which stretches 21 matches.
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Plymouth, who had shipped 35 goals in 13 games on the road heading to the Bet365 Stadium, will be buoyed by a first clean sheet away from home in the Sky Bet Championship this season.
It was a game of few memorable chances and looked like it would need a moment of magic to pocket the points.
Stoke had a number of shots, but basement boys Plymouth looked content to hold on for a precious point.
Recalled striker Sam Gallagher had the first chance of the game as he drove at the defence from the halfway line before firing a poor effort wide.
Top scorer Tom Cannon should have had his 10th league goal of the season as he scuffed an effort straight at grateful Plymouth stopper Conor Hazard.
Stoke stopper Viktor Johansson produced a good stop from Plymouth's best attack to keep the game goalless.
On-loan Leeds man Darko Gyabi dazzled his way down the left before forcing Swedish stopper Johansson into action from 20 yards out.
There was a much faster start after the interval, with both sets of fans hoping it would bring the game into life in almost freezing conditions.
Argyle keeper Hazard came to the rescue after a moment of panic in the Plymouth defence saw Tatsuki Seko get to the byline for a pullback with Hazard keeping out Junior Tchamadeu at the back post.
After spurning the hosts' best chance of the afternoon, Tchamadeu fired a strike over the bar as he carved a decent opening as Stoke looked to up the ante.
Star striker Cannon and Hazard cannoned into each other as they battled for a loose ball, with thankfully both getting up unscathed.
Another big chance went begging as Cannon got ahead of his marker to meet Lewis Koumas's cross, only to glance it wide.
Substitute Wouter Burger let fly late on as his effort missed the marker with time running out.
Stoke continued to huff and puff during six stoppage-time minutes but were forced to settle for a point from Robins' first game at the helm.
The managers
Stoke's Mark Robins:
"There's a lot to work on, clearly. But when you're coming into a third game in a week, whoever you're playing against, it's really difficult.
"We created bits and pieces, but there weren't enough clean strikes of the ball and there weren't enough clean passes in the penalty area.
"The boys put a lot of work in, a lot of mental work, in terms of what we're asking of them, we've drip-fed quite a lot of stuff into them.
"I said to the boys in the changing room that if you can't win it, don't lose it. We didn't look like we were ever going to win the game, but it looked like it was a real struggle to create anything meaningful in the game.
"They tried to execute everything we asked them to do. For a first game, whilst it could be a disappointment to people, it was a reasonable point. It was a really good shift.
Plymouth's caretaker boss Kevin Nancekivell:
"A point away from home is not to be sneezed at in the Championship, especially at a tough place like this.
"There's a reason why we're bottom of the division and that's the amount of goals we've been conceding.
"So to come here and get a clean sheet was very satisfying.
"It was just a case of the team doing their job a bit better than we have been doing away from home.
"We're pleased with a point. It's a long way to come off the back of a very long week.
"The players worked really hard and tirelessly. I can't fault their work rate at all."
