Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 5th Dec 2020 15:58 Luke Jephcott’s 14th minute goal has given Plymouth Argyle a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Home Park. Town boss Paul Lambert made three changes with Alan Judge, Brett McGavin and Kayden Jackson coming into the side. McGavin took over from Andre Dozzell, banned for one game having reached five bookings, in the holding midfield role with Judge ahead of him alongside Jon Nolan. Jack Lankester moved to the right of the front three with Keanan Bennetts, who has been suffering with a hamstring problem, dropping to the bench. Jackson was the lone central striker with Aaron Drinan, who started at Oxford on Tuesday, not in the matchday 18. Emyr Huws returned to the bench after a back problem along with Toto Nsiala, who has had a hamstring injury, and young defender Corrie Ndaba. For Plymouth, defenders Will Aimson and Jerome Opoku came back into the side, as did midfielders Panutche Camara and one-time Town target Danny Mayor. Scott Wootton, Niall Canavan and Ben Reeves dropped to the bench, while George Cooper missed out on a place in the 18. Former Blues loanee Conor Grant started in midfield and ex-Town striker Frank Nouble was up front. The teams were playing in front of fans for the first time since March 7th with 1,808 Argyle season ticket holders present at Home Park. Town started brightly with Armando Dobra sending over a low cross from the right which was turned behind by a defender. From the corner, ex-Blues striker Nouble slid in to make a fine challenge on Judge inside the box. There was a scare for the Blues in the sixth minute after Stephen Ward was caught in possession on the Town left. A cross from the right flicked off a defender behind Nouble and Mayor saw a shot blocked. A minute later at the other end, Town were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty when Opoku upended Lankester inside the box. However, referee Ollie Yates waved the protests away, seemingly indicating that Lankester had dived. Once again the Blues appeared to have been the victims of a bad big decision. The game had started in an end-to-end open manner with chances at both ends. On 10 the Pilgrims might have gone ahead when Grant crossed from the right and Kell Watts headed well over. But the returning, socially-distanced home fans dotted around the ground only had to wait another four minutes for their side to take the lead. Ex-Town loanee Grant crossed from the left from Nouble’s lay-off and Jephcott got in front of Mark McGuinness and flicked goalwards. The ball struck the underside of the bar and, according to the linesman, went over the line. Ward protested and replays suggested the ball may not have crossed but to no avail. The Blues should have got back on terms in the 22nd minute when a deflected Lankester pass sent Jackson away on goal. However, the striker took too long over taking his shot and Aimson slid in superbly to dispossess him. The game continued to be an open affair but with Argyle looking more dangerous. On 34 Mayor cut in from the left and hit a powerful shot which flew across the face of goal and wide. In the final scheduled minute of the half, Nouble flicked on a long kick from keeper Michael Cooper and Cornell had to come off his line to claim ahead of Jephcott. Moments later, Dobra forced Cooper into his first save of the game but it was a regulation take for the Argyle glovesman and looked to be going wide in any case. As has become familiar, Town had had plenty of possession and although they were less ponderous in their approach than has often been the case, they had created fewer of the chances than the home side. Having said that, they were very unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when Lankester was fouled, while Jackson ought to have got his shot away when he had his chance. But Plymouth had looked more threatening with their goal, which may or may not have crossed the line, the outstanding opening created by either side. Plymouth: M Cooper, Aimson, Opoku, Watts, Fornah, Edwards (c), Camara, Mayor, Grant, Nouble, Jephcott. Subs: McCormick, Wootton, Canavan, Hardie, Telford, Reeves, Moore. Town: Cornell, Chambers (c), Woolfenden, McGuinness, Ward, McGavin, Nolan, Dobra, Lankester, Jackson, Judge. Subs: Holy, Nsiala, Ndaba, Huws, Gibbs, Bennetts, Hawkins. Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire).
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