Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Sunderland: Unbeaten run ends with late winner after second-half drama

A stoppage-time winner from Joe Edwards brought an end to Sunderland’s unbeaten run at Home Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats looked to have rescued a point and preserved their unbeaten run when Romaine Mundle scored a late equaliser, but it was the hosts who took the three points minutes before the end.

Here’s the story of the game and its key talking points from a Sunderland perspective...

FIRST-TEAM EXILE CONTINUES FOR DUO

After deadline-day moves failed to materialise, Regis Le Bris said at his press conference this week that he’d had brief conversations with Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba regarding their absences from their recent squads and the way forward. The message from Le Bris was that the closing of the transfer window marked a clean slate and that there was a place for them if they worked hard and impressed in training.

The scale of the task they appear to have ahead of them was nevertheless laid bare as they were again left out of the squad, with Le Bris preferring new signing Milan Aleksic as well as academy duo Tommy Watson and Trey Ogunsuyi. Both, it must be said, were thoroughly deserving of their call after their performances in the U21 side over recent weeks.

In terms of the starting XI, Le Bris had just one call of note and that was to bring Dan Neil straight back after suspension. While very harsh on the excellent Alan Browne, Neil’s ability to dictate the tempo from deep was always likely to earn a recall.

SUNDERLAND STEADY START

The game started with little action of note, Plymouth perhaps wary of over committing and giving Sunderland the chance to break as they have done so effectively so far this season. While the hosts did see a fair amount of position and started steadily enough, it was Le Bris’ side who had the best openings.

Mundle drove one excellent cross just beynond his team mates attacking the six-yard box early on, before Jobe Bellingham drove an effort wide on his weaker left foot after finidng psace on the edge of the area. As we have seen through this season so far, Sunderland’s best chances were coming when they were able to win the ball back in their low block and quickly break. Rigg drew the save of the game from Grimshaw when Mayenda teed up him inside the box, but his effort on his weaker foot was straight at the Plymouth goalkeeper.

Sunderland had been threatening without totally dominating but got their reward when they sprung one of those quick counters after winning the ball back. Hume found Rigg in space with a nice pass and the youngster drove into the box, going down after a clumsy push from Bali Mumba. Patrick Roberts stepped up to take the penalty and converted emphatically, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and his team into the lead.

BLACK CATS GO CLOSE AGAIN - BUT PLYMOUTH STEP IT UP

Roberts was almost on the scoresheet again shortly after his goal. Sunderland won a free kick inside the Plymouth half which Roberts whipped towards the back post from the right-hand side, Grimshaw making a mess of his attempts to clear and in the end very fortunate to see it strike the bar and bounce clear.

That was a lucky escape for the hosts but broadly speaking, their response to the goal was good. They began to find space and push Sunderland back towards their own goal, and force some panicked defending of the kind we haven’t seen much of so far this season. They should have been level when they were able to force their way in down Sunderland’s left, a dangerous cross well cut out by O’Nien but falling very kindly for Gyabi. The midfielder had time but blazed his first-time effort high and wide.

Sunderland went close again when Jobe played Mundle through in another quick counter, the winger cutting inside and unfurling an effort that looked destined for the back of the net until Gibson deflected it wide after making an excellent recovery run.

That was the last big chance of the first half and while Sunderland’s lead was just about deserved, Plymouth had done enough to warn against any complacency and the left winger Ibrahim Cissoko in particular had caused a lot of problems.

PLYMOUTH GET THEIR REWARD AND PUT SUNDERLAND ON THE ROPES FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON

Buoyed by their strong end to the first half, Plymouth started the second half by far the stronger and had their reward inside ten minutes. Anthony Patterson had done brilliantly to keep the scores level moments before when he tipped a long-range effort from Adam Randell just past his far post, but a poor kick allowed Plymouth in down the left again. A low cross found Wright and though O’Nien made an excellent block, the ball broke kindly for Whittaker. He thumped a first-time effort off the underside of the bar, striking Ballard on the way out and finding its way into the back of the net.

The hosts continued to enjoy the better of the chances, a brilliant first-time volley from Edwards dropping just wide of Patterson’s far post. Cissoko then cracked an effort off the crossbar with Patterson well beaten. For the first time this season, Sunderland were firmly on the back foot and with their unbeaten run firmly at risk.

PRESSURE TELLS AS SUNDERLAND FALL BEHIND

Sunderland were given a taste of their own medicine with just over fifteen minutes to play, losing the ball deep in Plymouth’s half and allowing the hosts to break quickly. Cissoko drove to the byline and though Ballard would have expected to clear, he sliced his effort into a dangerous area and fouled Hardie as he tried to make amends. The striker had been on the pitch a matter of moments but calmly sent Patterson the wrong way to give his side the lead.

Sunderland responded well, nice play from Roberts allowing Mayenda to break free and have an effort deflected into the side netting.

MUNDLE ALMOST RESCUES THE UNBEATEN RUN BUT PLYMOUTH SNATCH WINNER

Sunderland began to exert some pressure as they chased an equaliser and got their reward when substitute Isidor kept the ball alive in the box. There was still a lot of work for Mundle to do as he gathered position but he did it brilliantly, cutting inside and curling a low effort through a crowd of bodies and into the far corner.

A superb game ended with a glut of chances, Sunderland twice going close through Isidor. But it was the hosts who snatched all three points Patterson saving a long-range effort but able only to palm it into the path of Edwards. He drove low and through the legs of the Sunderland goalkeeper to send the home crowd into delirium.

The result was a little harsh on Sunderland who had created openings throughout, but they made too many errors in the second half and were made to pay.

Sunderland AFC XI: Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O’Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Jobe, Rigg (Browne, 70) ; Roberts, Mundle, Mayenda (Isidor, 79)

Subs: Moore, Mepham, Aleksic, Hjelde, Watson, Ogunsuyi

Plymouth Argyle XI: Grimshaw, Mumba, Szucs, Cissoko (Galloway, 79), Edwards, Whittaker, Wright (Al Hajj, 65), Obafemi (Hardie, 65) , Gibson, Gyabi (Houghton, 85), Randell (Forshaw, 85)

Subs: Marosi, Ogbeta, Bundu

Bookings: Gyabi, 28 Whittaker, 46 Bellingham, 47 Mundle, 56 Szucs, 57 Hume, 58