Argyle 1 Forest 0

By: Jim | September 30th, 2008

There’s a definite sense that Sturrock is at last getting this Argyle side how he wants it. His uncompromising stance over some of the bigger egos in the squad, coupled with his insistence on “honesty” from his matchday eleven is starting to show dividends: and this third win on the bounce bore all the hallmarks of a traditional Sturrock performance. Argyle were committed, organised, direct and above all, manifestly a TEAM. Much of the game wasn’t pretty; until Marin came on there was no-one out there offering much in the way of breathtaking tricks and skill; but there were performances to admire all over the pitch. Three superb saves from Romain Larrieu – two from Nathan Tyson, one from a Chris Cohen freekick – dealt with all Forest had to offer, and it was he who drew the Man of the Match award from young diver Tom Daley. But in truth, that could have gone to any one of half a dozen. Seip was majestic, absolutely majestic at the back: calm, confident, and at least two steps ahead of Cole and Tyson; Cathcart (until the injury that forced him off shortly after half-time) strong, impassable and determined. It is surely no coincidence that Argyle’s only wobbly period was the ten minutes immediately following his replacement by Timar.

Up front, Fallon continued to reinvent himself – reincarnate himself, almost – as Mickey Evans Mark II. If Gallagher was quieter than usual, it was more than made up for by Chris Clark’s energy and pace down the flanks. But it was in central midfield though that Argyle were the biggest revelation. Summerfield bossed, simply bossed the game: always available, always moving the ball left to right to right to left. Moussi and Perch were utterly anonymous and with Duguid giving one of the great ‘unseen’ performances, Forest simply had no answer. McCleary, when he came on, gave them a little pace, a little quality, but it was too little too late.

Had referee Kevin Friend been a little less devoted to the sound of his whistle and allowed the game to flow at least a bit, Argyle might well have added to the single, slighty fortuitous Fallon goal, coming after the hapless and hopeless Wes Morgan slammed a clearance into his legs. They certainly should have had the chance to double their advantage from the penalty spot – Bennett’s haul back on Mackie being missed only by Mr Friend and his assistant colleague on the Lyndhurst side. Mackie’s disappointment at his persistence not being rewarded was palpable: moments later, his burst through the middle and shot had Smith beaten all ends up, only to clip the top of the crossbar.

One last thing. Andy Cole. Having gone public in the Nottingham press earlier in the week at his dissatisfaction at not being in the starting line-up and claiming piously that he’d never been paid for doing nothing in his life, you would have expected a performance of Premiership quality or at the very least, honest-to-goodness, die-for-the-team commitment. Instead we saw a sulky, lazy, can’t-be-bothered, complete lack of interest. Marked out of the game by Seip, he refused to move for his teammates or go looking for the ball and seemed to expect chances to be delivered to him on a plate. I don’t know what Forest are paying him, but if I were a fan I would be demanding his contract be terminated forthwith. I haven’t seen such a cynical one last pay-day since Jim Beglin was at Argyle. For a European Cup winner to behave in that way is an utter, utter disgrace and to treat a football club, and more importantly its fans with such egregious contempt absolutely shameful.