Brief Synopsis!!! (Macclesfield)

Chink of light opening over 4th place now. With our goal dif it's as good as 4 points over Exeter

Hardie’s header at 1-0 looked at least 5 yards over the line from block 14. Linesman was right in line though but would’ve been highly contentious had we not won as comfortably as we did

One of the best performances of the season (admittedly against limited opposition having off-field issues). Even at half time, I was saying Cooper has shown in the last two games that we need him in the team. Six points and six goals without Sarce is a great effort. I think he will come back in next game, which would be my only change. We seem to have found our best first XI at just the right time.

Palmer - 8. A couple of good one-on-one saves in the first half, and secure otherwise.
McFadzean - 7. Much better than Tuesday when he looked out of position.
Canavan - 8. Has really stepped up another level since wearing the armband.
Wootton - 8. Decent performance and a clearance off the line that was worth a goal.
Moore - 7. Another energetic performance, made a sloppy pass that let them in in the first half.
Bakinson - 7. Good first half, quiet second.
Grant - 7. Tidy performance. Has done well since coming in but I'd bring Sarce back for a bit more energy.
Cooper - 9. Fantastic ball for the first and two great finishes. Caused them problems all game, although wasn't tested defensively.
Mayor - 9. Best performance in an Argyle shirt. Ran the game.
Jephcott - 8. Really good hold-up and link play. Occupied their defenders which made room for those around him.
Hardie - 8. Lovely touch and finish for the first, unlucky not to score another.

A settled side with a winning mentality, definitely don't change it ...................until we need/have to.

:scarf:

A great attacking display puts us just one point away from top and 11 points clear of 8th place.

3-0 and it could have been more, we had two goals disallowed and also hit the post. Macclesfield did have their chances and Palmer was called into action on a number of times in a very entertaining and open game where we created an incredible 26 chances.
Two loan players got the goals, Cooper got two goals and created an assist (again) for Hardie from deep into his own half. Cooper ran the show on the left side aided by Danny Mayor who had his best game for a while.
The clean sheet was down to Scott Wootton who incredibly headed a goal bound shot off the line when the Macclesfield striker looked certain to score from six yards out.

Ryan Lowe used the new formation again of 3-4-1-2 which was so effective in the first half against Grimsby although Mayor played more to the left behind the strikers rather than centrally as he did against Grimsby.

Macclesfield started the game by fouling just about every player in Green until the excellent ref had enough and issued a yellow card, once that card was produced the rough house tactics stopped.
Bakinson headed over from a Cooper cross and Canavan had a shot saved following a Cooper corner.

We were caught a few times from counter attacks and Palmer had to be alert to either make a save or advance forward to clear the ball.

We did score when two loan players combined, Cooper sold a dummy deep in his own half and sent a long ball to Hardie, Mitchell the Macclesfield keeper was in no man's land so Hardie calmly took his time and chipped the ball over him. 1-0 to Plymouth Loangyle.

Jephcott had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for handball which looked harsh. The goal music was played out across the PA system by the excitable person in charge of pushing buttons.
A poor back pass from Moore was intercepted by Tracey who was quickly closed down by Palmer.

Macclesfield couldn't handle the left-side of Cooper and Mayor and most of our attacks came from that side, Moore tried to attack from the right-side but with Bakinson and Grant sitting deep he didn't have a midfielder to link up with.

We had to settle for just a single goal lead at half-time.

Lowe kept the same formation for the second half and once again Cooper and Mayor ran the show.

Hardie had the ball in the net, it was just about bulging, but bizarrely the linesman didn't give the goal.

No matter, Mayor went on a great run and slipped the ball to Cooper who thundered in a great left foot shot. 2-0.

Wootton then took centre-stage with a superb goal line clearance, it really was unbelievable.

Jephcot hit the post with a near post shot and Cooper scored his second after again linking with Mayor, his right foot did the damage this time with a curler just inside the post.

Could we score a fourth and keep a clean sheet? No and yes.

Not many League Two teams with have coped with us today. 60% possession, 26 attempts on goal, 9 shots on target, 13 corners.

Cooper was unplayable, it helped that he didn't have to do a lot of defending and that our left side was overloaded. An assist and two goals and it could have been more.
Mayor had his best game for a while, everyone wanted him to cap it with a goal.

Bakinson and Grant sitting deep allows the wing-backs to push forward even more and the new formation really does benefit the team. Lowe doesn't like to change his style, he's said that in the media but his change to this formation has brought two wins and six goals.

The movement from Hardie and Jephcott is fantastic, they are never still, one will come short while the other will go long.
Hardie's goals is reminiscent of Sir Thomas of Tynan when he joined on loan from Rotherham and scored 10 goals to fire us to promotion.

Canavan is having a very good second half of the season and had another excellent game, Wootton's distribution is still suspect but his defending is top notch.

Will Sarcevic get back into the team? It would be harsh to drop either Grant and Bakinson and can Sarcevic play in this new formation if Lowe continues with it?

The only thing that can stop us getting promoted is some virus!

Man of the Match - Cooper.

Palmer 7, Wootton 7, Canavan 7, McFadzean 6, Grant 7, Bakinson 7, Moore 7, Cooper 9, Mayor 8, Jephcott 7, Hardie 8. Subs - Telford 6, Randell 6, Cleal n/a.

We made a number of errors that better teams might have punished. Canavan missed a couple of crucial headers which led to chances, and that Byron Moore backpass... what was he thinking?! Couldn't have set the Macc player up any better if he tried.

However, I can forgive these errors because going forward we were so so good. The quality of passing wasn't always exceptional, but our movement off the ball, pace, interchange and fluidity really was.

Nice to put a poor side to bed comfortably - it could have been so different had their player finished off that almost open-goal in the second half. We go up the other end and make it 2.

Palmer 7 - mostly untroubled but a very good one on one save.

Wootton 6 - passing an issue again but good defensively and full credit for being in the right place for that goal line clearance.
Canavan 6 - imperious throughout, would have been an 8 but for the two big errors.
McFadzean 6 - not brilliant but gave us a good option bringing the ball out from the back, and linked up well with Mayor and Cooper.

Grant 7 - used the ball mostly well. Great crossfield ball to Hardie late on too.
Moore 6 - did well but a point off for that horrendous backpass.
Bakinson 7 - a few sloppy moments again but was such a presence, won the ball back well and used it well too. Sarcevic sits on the bench next weekend for me.
Mayor 8 - Macc couldn't get anywhere near him. His dribbling was exceptional, two great assists, and his general passing and decision making, if not perfect, was good.
Cooper 9 MOTM - sign him on. If the money is there and Peterborough don't want something silly for him, sign him on.

Jephcott 7 - much like Hardie, his movement was excellent. Very unlucky not to score, hitting the post in the second half.
Hardie 8 - another who I'd love to see here past the end of this season.

6 each for the subs - well done to Cleal on his first appearance.

Thoroughly good afternoon. 5 points from 3 potentially tricky games now would do nicely.

argobenz":fcxbm5rx said:

A settled side with a winning mentality, definitely don't change it ...................until we need/have to.

:scarf:

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Absolutely right, can't remember 2 x 3 nils in a row. We are flying and the team should not be changed and won't be unless injury or suspension decides otherwise.

We never looked like losing today, confidence is high and even the defence looked better especially wootton with his goal line clearance.

Jephcott needs to be signed up long term as he is the best prospect ive seen in the last 10 years.

Cooper also needs to be signed permanently.

We have by hook or by crook stumbled to our best starting 11 and now we need to keep on going, I know sarce has done brilliantly but we look so much more balanced and defensively sound in the last 2 games that for the last 9 games we need to keep it as it is imo. With sarce, josh grant, Sawyer et al on the bench we have a very strong chance of staying in the top 3.

Dan Ellard":wt28ks5x said:

We made a number of errors that better teams might have punished. Canavan missed a couple of crucial headers which led to chances, and that Byron Moore backpass... what was he thinking?! Couldn't have set the Macc player up any better if he tried.

However, I can forgive these errors because going forward we were so so good. The quality of passing wasn't always exceptional, but our movement off the ball, pace, interchange and fluidity really was.

Nice to put a poor side to bed comfortably - it could have been so different had their player finished off that almost open-goal in the second half. We go up the other end and make it 2.

Palmer 7 - mostly untroubled but a very good one on one save.

Wootton 6 - passing an issue again but good defensively and full credit for being in the right place for that goal line clearance.
Canavan 6 - imperious throughout, would have been an 8 but for the two big errors.
McFadzean 6 - not brilliant but gave us a good option bringing the ball out from the back, and linked up well with Mayor and Cooper.

Grant 7 - used the ball mostly well. Great crossfield ball to Hardie late on too.
Moore 6 - did well but a point off for that horrendous backpass.
Bakinson 7 - a few sloppy moments again but was such a presence, won the ball back well and used it well too. Sarcevic sits on the bench next weekend for me.
Cooper 9 MOTM - sign him on. If the money is there and Peterborough don't want something silly for him, sign him on.

Jephcott 7 - much like Hardie, his movement was excellent. Very unlucky not to score, hitting the post in the second half.
Hardie 8 - another who I'd love to see here past the end of this season.

6 each for the subs - well done to Cleal on his first appearance.

Thoroughly good afternoon. 5 points from 3 potentially tricky games now would do nicely.

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Im sure some guy called Mayor was playing today......... :shock:

:lol: :doh:

Edited - no one will notice...!

An excellent display in which most of our players didn't have to get of third gear. Not Cooper and Mayor, however, who both arguably produced their best performances of the season to comfortably win the match for us.

Macclesfield had their moments, but most teams do against our defence. Wooton was really poor in the first half, but in fairness he improved significantly as the match wore on and single-handedly prevented Macc from equalising with an outstanding headed clearance off the line that earned him exhuberant congratulations from Palmer.

In the end it says something for our dominance that I was disappointed with 'just' a 3-0 win - that could and probably should have been 6-1.

We. Are. Going. Up.

Ottawa Green":vjw1wkhf said:

football-bet-data":vjw1wkhf said:

Hardie’s header at 1-0 looked at least 5 yards over the line from block 14. Linesman was right in line though but would’ve been highly contentious had we not won as comfortably as we did

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NO not over the line from what they showed on ifollow

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The whole of the Lyndy was on its feet, I’m in block 11 and was convinced it was in!

tremendous game of football against a better side than tuesday night.can't fault any player.would love to sign hardie and we must get jephcott signed up on a 5 year deal in my opinion.my ratings;
Alex Palmer - 9
Callum McFadzean - 10
Niall Canavan - 10
Scott Wootton - 10
Byron Moore - 9
Conor Grant- 10
Tareeq Bakinson - 9
Danny Mayor - 9
George Cooper - 10
Luke Jephcott - 10
Ryan Hardie - 10

A lovely performance, flowing, attacking, entertaining, against a Macclesfield team who I thought looked better than their position suggests. What a week, 6 points, 6 goals, 0 conceded, into the top 3 on Tuesday, extended our lead over 4th (those lot) today, up the Argyle.