Watch Plymouth Argyle’s homegrown striker secure a vital three points against Coventry City at Home Park. This win would prove to be decisive in the Sky Bet Championship relegation battle. The home side demonstrated tremendous poise and creativity from start to finish. Forward Suleiman Bundu was the team’s standout player, scoring two goals and assisting on another. The win allows Plymouth to maintain their hopes of avoiding relegation as they fight to stay competitive in the league.
It was an intense first half, with Bundu finally breaking the deadlock in the 40th minute. Coventry’s goalkeeper, Ben Collins, came close to saving his first effort. Forward Ryan Hardie flicked it impeccably with his foot, curling it just out of Collins’ fingertips. This built the foundation for Bundu’s impactful work just a few days later.
In a dizzying flurry just ahead of halftime, Bundu not only scored the opener, he set up Hardie’s equalizer too. Bundu deftly nutmegged opposition centre-back Joel Latibeaudiere on the halfway line. He then burst into the box and passed with precision for Hardie to finish confidently, under Collins’ legs in the 43rd minute. This flurry of goals in rapid succession was enough to send Plymouth into the half with a 2-0 lead.
Second Half Dominance
Plymouth wouldn’t take their foot off the gas and would add to their lead just minutes later. Bundu added his second goal of the afternoon 20 minutes into the period, putting the game well out of reach. Following the corner from Adam Randell, though, the danger was cleared. Bundu had immediately set himself up to be on the end of a cut-back cross. Without pausing for thought, he drove home from an angle, sending Collins the wrong way at the near post.
The match was far from smooth sailing for Plymouth as Collins came under fire often. He was set free again, this time down the left. As he attempted to deal with Bundu’s cross, he made a mess and shanked the ball into the air. But referee Andy Davies decided that Collins had been fouled by Muhamed Tijani earlier in the play.
With less than five minutes before halftime, Coventry responded to cut the deficit. Defender Jake Wright took full advantage of a rebound following a sensational stop by Plymouth’s keeper, Conor Hazard. Wright was quick to pounce after Hazard parried Ellis Simms’ header from Ashley Grimes’ corner. He scored in the 42nd minute, bringing the Reds within one just before half.
Missed Opportunities
It was a game of missed chances on both sides, with both teams arguably having better opportunities to convert. Latibeaudiere, Coventry’s wing-back, wasted a golden opportunity to put his team ahead after just five minutes of the match. He squandered the opportunity, shooting wide from Jack Rudoni’s corner within the first 12 minutes.
23rd min For Plymouth, Hardie just misses. After Jayden Gyabi created the opportunity by winning the ball back in midfield, Bundu took the ball inside from the left and hit an absolute howitzer of a shot. Collins expertly parried Hardie’s opening shot. Before Bundu could react, he jumped up to head in the loose ball and the goal was disallowed for an offside call.
Even with these early opportunities lost, Plymouth held their heads and controlled the majority of the game with great team play and spacing. Miron Muslic, who was influential all match long, underlined his confidence in his side’s ability to escape the drop.
“We always have a chance, I always say that. I always believe that we have a chance and today is no different.” – Miron Muslic
Unlike his opposite number, Coventry City manager Frank Lampard was unhappy with his players’ efforts in the immediate aftermath of the match.
“Difficult, a disappointing result, clearly. This was a game that was completely dominated by mistakes we made that led to transition and set-pieces.” – Frank Lampard
Looking Ahead
Plymouth just pulled off an amazing upset! This win will provide them with a mountain of momentum as they make their push for safety in the Championship. The tenacity, fight and sheer tactical intelligence the team displayed will be paramount when we return to action next month. Meanwhile, Coventry needs to turn around and shore up their defensive issues if they want to avoid being stuck in the relegation zone.
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