Substitute Ibrahim Cissoko scores twice as Plymouth Argyle beat Luton Town
Ibrahim Cissoko scored twice as a second half substitute as Plymouth Argyle took another impressive Home Park scalp by beating Luton Town 3-1.
After winning 3-2 against former Championship leaders Sunderland last time out in front of the massed ranks of the Green Army, Wayne Rooney’s Pilgrims picked up three more points after a performance which combined good attacking play and strong defending.
Swedish midfielder Rami Al Hajj celebrated his first start for Argyle by opening the scoring in only the eighth minute with a terrific shot high into the net.
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Cissoko, who had dropped down to the substitutes’ bench for this match, was sent on as a substitute shortly before the hour mark and doubled the Pilgrims’ advantage in the 69th minute with another thumping finish.
Their 2-0 lead did not last long, however, as Victor Moses fired home from inside the Argyle box and that set up a tense finale before Cissoko made sure of the victory with their third goal, and his second, in added time.
The Pilgrims are up to 13th position in the Championship and building momentum under Rooney, not only in terms of points picked up but the manner of their performances as well..
Al Hajj was one of two changes to Argyle’s starting line-up from the 1-0 defeat at table-topping West Bromwich Albion, with on-loan Burnley striker Michael Obafemi also starting for the Pilgrims. Cissoko and Adam Forshaw dropped down to the substitutes’ bench.
It was a 4-2-3-1 formation for Argyle with Ryan Hardie up front, and the trio of Obafemi on the left, Al Hajj in the centre and Morgan Whittaker on the right behind him.
Darko Gyabi and Adam Randell were the central midfield pair while the back four was unchanged with Lewis Gibson and Kornel Szucs in the centre while Joe Edwards and Bali Mumba were the full-backs.
Luton had come from behind to win 2-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday last time out but striker Carlton Morris, who got both of their goals in that game, was not in the squad against Argyle as Elijah Adebayo again led their attack.
It took Al Hajj just eight minutes to mark his full debut with a goal. Obafemi played the ball into Hardie, who touched it off to the Swedish midfielder and from just inside the penalty area he sent a shot high into the top corner of the net.
Argyle almost doubled their lead in the 12th minute after a good break down the right from Gyabi and Whittaker, whose low cross found Obafemi and his fierce shot flashed not far wide of Thomas Kaminski’s left post.
Whittaker fired high and wide with a left foot shot after he received a slight nudge from Luton’s Alfie Doughty and then Al Hajj forced an excellent low save out of Kaminski when the ball reached him following a miscued Mumba strike.
Al Hajj tried to tuck the ball low in the bottom left corner of Kaminski’s net from around 15 yards out but the Luton keeper swooped down to push it away.
The visitors did not threaten too often but there was one opportunity for them when Adebayo flicked the ball on for Tahith Chong to run onto but Edwards got back quickly and it eventually rolled through to ‘keeper Dan Grimshaw.
Randell was booked after bringing down Luton right-back Reuell Walters as he advanced towards the Argyle penalty area and Adebayo headed over from the resulting free-kick, although referee John Busby awarded a corner instead of a goal kick.
Edwards then had a great opportunity to extend the Pilgrims’ lead in the 40th minute when his close range shot was saved by an outstretched leg of Kaminski after the ball had been prodded through to him by Mumba.
The powerful Adebayo was proving difficult to deal with and it needed a terrific sliding block from Gibson after the Luton striker had pounced on a slip on the ball from Szucs.
Brendan Galloway was sent on as an Argyle half-time substitute as he replaced Mumba at left-back, perhaps at least in part to help out trying to combat the aerial strength of Adebayo, who had been Luton’s big danger.
Whittaker sliced a left-foot shot well wide after the ball was played inside to him by Al Hajj before Adebayo had an excellent chance to equalise when he was picked out by a pinpoint cross from Reece Burke but the striker sent his header back across the goal and over the bar.
Luton had started to pin Argyle back as they took the game to them and there was a double substitution for the hosts in the 58th minute as Al Hajj and Obafemi were replaced by Forshaw and Cissoko respectively.
Randell dropped into a defensive central midfield role, with Gyabi and Forshaw ahead of him. It was an attempt to solidify the Pilgrims defensively while also looking to use Randell to play out from the back.
Adebayo had a low angled shot touched wide for a corner by Grimshaw, which resulted in a massive goalmouth scramble before Argyle could clear their lines.
The Pilgrims had been pressed back but they were able to extend their lead to 2-0 in the 69th minute when Gyabi broke forward from close to his own penalty area. After running almost the length of the pitch he played the ball outside to Cissoko, whose fierce left-foot shot flew into the net past Kaminski.
Luton replied almost immediately, though, as substitute Moses chested down a deep cross from the left and beat Grimshaw with an excellent low finish. Gyabi had been down on the ground as Luton attacked and before play restarted he was replaced by Jordan Houghton.
Two Luton substitutes had scoring chances soon after being introduced into the action as Joe Taylor sent a left-foot strike wide while Cauley Woodrow blasted over the bar from the edge of the penalty area as the visitors continued to do most of the attacking.
Fit-again Argyle striker Muhamed Tijani was a 79th minute replacement for Hardie before Gibson did extremely well to block a cross-shot from Luton captain Jordan Clark behind for a corner.
Argyle had the next chance as Randell was urged by the Devonport End to shoot as he ran towards them and he did just that as his fierce drive thumped back off the bar. Had it gone in it would no doubt have been a Goal of the Season contender.
Forshaw then had a sidefoot attempt saved by Kaminski as the Green Army tried to roar their team on in the crucial closing stages. There were also groans from those fans when it was announced that seven minutes of added time would be played at the end of the second half
Those groans turned to cheers of delight, though, when Cissoko made it 3-1. His initial shot after cutting inside was blocked but when the ball rebounded to him he kept a cool head and slotted low past Kaminski to wrap up the win for Argyle.
ARGYLE: Dan Grimshaw; Joe Edwards, Kornel Szucs, Lewis Gibson, Bali Mumba (Brendan Galloway h/t); Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi (Jordan Houghton 71 mins), Morgan Whittkaer, Rami Al Hajj (Adam Forshaw 58 mins); Michael Obafemi (Ibrahim Cissoko 58 mins); Ryan Hardie (Muhamed Tijani 79 mins).
Substitutes: Marko Marosi, Callum Wright, Mustapha Bundu, Victor Palsson.
LUTON: Thomas Kaminski; Teden Mengi (Mads Andersen 42 mins, Victor Moses 58 mins)), Mark McGuinness, Reece Burke; Reuell Walters, Tom Krauss, Jordan Clark, Alfie Doughty; Zack Nelson (Joe Taylor 75 mins), Elijah Adebayo (Cauley Woodrow 75 mins), Tahith Chong (Jacob Brown h/t).
Substitutes: James Shea, Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Liam Walsh.
REFEREE: John Busby
ATTENDANCE: 16,616
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