Argyle 0 Hull 1

By: Jim | February 3rd, 2008

A thoroughly miserable end to a thoroughly miserable week. Argyle looked bereft of confidence, ideas, and stomach for the fight as they surrendered tamely to a Hull side who frankly did not look much better. This was as limp a performance as I’ve seen from the Greens since the bad old days of Pulis and truth to tell it bore many of the same hallmarks: dithering in front of goal, aimless hoofs upfield to strikers without a prayer of getting hold of the ball; midfielders unable to pass and defenders schooled in the Chuckle Brothers style – to me, to you, oh bugger.

And yet, it could all have been so different, had the latest member of the Dem’port Hall of Fame, We Always Get Sh*t Refs, Mr Paul Armstrong, not inexplicably disallowed Krizstian Timar’s perfectly good headed goal from Halmosi’s corner, after Bo Myhill in the Hull goal had barged Rory Fallon so hard he fell back three yards. The bloke on the tannoy was so convinced the goal was good and should stand that he carried on playing Good Thing – Argyle’s goal celebration – long after the freekick had been hoofed back upfield. Had the goal stood, perhaps Argyle might have found some confidence and generated a performance to match their heroics at Fratton Park last week.

But no. Apart from the odd flurry and bits of good work from Fallon, Clark and Maclean, Argyle offered precious little in terms of an attacking threat. And when they did threaten, Fallon and Maclean were too unconfident or too inept or both to capitalise. Most heinous was a cross from Connolly that looked a certain goal for Fallon – until he shut his eyes, mistimed his jump and let the ball skid off the top of his head rather than be powered into the back of the net.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Sam Ricketts escaped the attentions of Gary Sawyer and fired a cross along the Argyle six-yard box. Timar looked at Doumbe. Doumbe looked at Timar. Luke McCormick looked at the pair of them – and Dean Windass looked at the ball as it hit his standing leg and dribbled pathetically over the line. The Green Army looked at the heavens. Pathetic. Just pathetic.

If anything, second half we were worse. The cheers that greeted the substitution of Luke Summerfield – mare though he undoubtedly was having – were a disgrace. Abdou added pace and energy into the midfield and brought about Myhill’s only save. Easter came on for Fallon and buzzed briefly, but was just as unable as everyone else to hold up the ball. Jutkiewicz came on and stood around. I’m not sure I’ve worked out the point of him yet. I’m not altogether sure he’s got one.

Full time – and the Tigers went mad. So did the Green Army, for different reasons. I gather the Board got some abuse from the lower Mayflower. We’re too genteel for that in the Grandstand – but we all thought it. At this rate, we’re going to get a right kicking at Leicester. On Sky too. Fantastic.