Report: Plymouth Argyle 3-0 Rovers

Rovers were punished for missing opportunities as the longest away trip of the season ended in disappointment following a 3-0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

A fortunate strike from Finn Azaz saw the midfielder’s drive take two deflections before whistling past Aynsley Pears to put the home side in front at the break.

It came after Ryan Hedges passed up a glorious opportunity to put the visitors in front early on, with his effort going wide of the target when clean through and with just Conor Hazard to beat.

The second half saw Rovers dealt a lesson after being so wasteful in the final third, with two goals in three second-half minutes seeing Ryan Hardie and then Luke Cundle make the scoreline more emphatic and ensure Argyle returned to winning ways after three successive defeats in all competitions.

Rovers will now be forced to lick their wounds for the two-week international break before a return to match action against Middlesbrough at Ewood Park later on this month.

The boss made three changes to the team that started the last Championship outing at Watford, with Harry Pickering, Andrew Moran and Devon-born Sam Gallagher coming back into the XI in place of the injured Joe Rankin-Costello, and benched Tyrhys Dolan and Harry Leonard.

Ryan Hedges, the hero from Vicarage Road thanks to his moment of magic, passed up a glorious opportunity to put Rovers 1-0 up with just seven minutes played in the south-west.

Gallagher broke the offside trap and fed the Welshman, who’d come in from the right flank and he was one-on-one with Conor Hazard with the goal at his mercy. Although Hedges gave the Scot the eyes and sent the former Celtic stopper the wrong way, his effort fell comfortably wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post when he really should have scored.

That miss didn’t impact Rovers, though. Tomasson’s visitors continued to burst forward in numbers and Sam Szmodics bent over the upright after Gallagher provided good leg work down the right.

It was Gallagher who had the next opportunity, with Hazard called into action for the first time in the contest to tip over the striker’s looping header after he got above his man to head Hedges’ cross on target.

Argyle were looking dangerous on the counter and Aynsley Pears had to be well placed to guard his near post and shovel behind a bouncing Bali Mumba header after a deep cross from the right from Ryan Hardie found the former Norwich City and Sunderland winger at the mid-point of the first half.

Plymouth grabbed the advantage soon after against the run of play, with Azaz’s strike putting the Pilgrims in front.

The on-loan Aston Villa man let fly from the edge of the box, with his strike taking deflections off Lewis Travis and Adam Wharton, wrong-footing Pears and finding the back of the net just before the half-hour mark.

That goal saw the home side grow in confidence, and Pears made sure the scoreline didn’t turn to 2-0 by guarding his near post again to stop Morgan Whittaker’s strike after the forward skilfully flicked the ball through Dom Hyam’s legs and went for goal.

Azaz’s effort meant Rovers went into the interval frustrated, with further disappointment coming at half time with an injury to Hyam, who looked like he tweaked his hamstring just moments before the half-time whistle was blown, with Scott Wharton coming on to replace the Scotland international at centre back.

Plymouth emerged out of the traps quickest at the start of the second half, with Hardie’s snapshot being blocked by Pears before the follow-up attempt from the same player was blasted over.

Back at the other end, Hayden Carter saw his header agonisingly drift inches past Hazard’s left-hand post after the defender connected with Hedges’ out-swinging corner in a lively start to the second period.

The next chance came Szmodics’ way and again it was Hedges who was the architect, with the winger robbing Kaine Kesler-Hayden and setting up the No. 8, who could only drag wide of the target from 20 yards.

Adam Randell arced a curling effort over the upright after capitalising on a loose pass from Scott Wharton and the opportunities continued to arrive for both teams before the hour in Devon.

Tomasson made a double change on the hour mark as he introduced Dolan and Leonard, with the latter and Hedges both failing to get on the end of a perfect Pickering delivery from the left as Argyle’s goal continued to live something of a charmed life.

Rovers hit the bar with 20 minutes remaining as a lung-bursting run from Travis saw him charge into the box and go for goal, but his strike took a deflection off a home defender and top onto the top of the upright before going behind.

Plymouth wrapped up the points with 13 minutes remaining as Hardie scored for the third successive league outing with a close-range finish.

The frontman was quickest to react after Pears parried away a strike from substitute Callum Wright, with Hardie pouncing to force home a second for Schumacher’s charges and punish Rovers for their missed opportunities.

If they weren’t secured with that goal, they were a few minutes later when Cundle lobbed Pears. A mix-up at the back saw Pears’ header get height but not distance, with Wolves loanee Cundle producing a first-time attempt that looped over the Rovers goalkeeper and in.

That was to sign off a truly frustrating day for Rovers, who will look back on what could and should have been in the south-west if the chances had been taken at Home Park.