Argyle's late fightback just comes up short

PLYMOUTH Argyle have lost their opening three league games of a season for the first time in 30 years after being beaten 3-2 by Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

Not since 1995, when the Pilgrims were in the fourth division of English football, have they failed to pick up a single point from the first three matches, although they did go on to be promoted by winning a playoff final against Darlington at Wembley.

Tom Cleverley’s Argyle trailed 3-0 midway through the second half but they did belatedly make a fight of it by getting two quickfire goals from substitute Owen Oseni and Xavier Amaechi, only to then have Brendan Wiredu sent-off in the 86th minute for a second bookable offence.

It is now eight goals conceded in three League One games for the Pilgrims, which highlights the urgency for the club to strengthen their defensive options before the summer transfer window closes on September 1.

Argyle are also one of three teams in the division yet to pick up a point at the start of this term, with the other two being Peterborough United and Reading.

The Pilgrims’ starting lineup against Lincoln showed one change from their last League One game, the 2-0 defeat by Bolton Wanderers the previous Saturday. That saw Wiredu come into the side for Brendan Galloway, who was named among the substitutes.

Galloway had been ruled out of the 3-2 Carabao Cup first round victory over Queens Park Rangers at Home Park on Tuesday by a calf issue but was fit enough to be on the bench at the LNER Stadium. The same applied to midfielder Caleb Roberts, who had overcome an ankle/heel problem.

Argyle were still without six injured players, though, with Conor Hazard, Joe Edwards, Jack Mackenzie, Julio Pleguezuelo, Jamie Paterson and Freddie Issaka all ruled out.

Striker Owen Oseni had scored two of the goals in the Pilgrims’ win against QPR but Bim Pepple was picked by Cleverley to lead the attack at Lincoln.