Plymouth Argyle missed an opportunity to pull themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time since November, after only managing to claim a point from their 1-1 draw against a 10-man Cardiff City side, at Home Park on Sunday.
Yousef Salech gave the Bluebirds the lead early into the second half, but Muhamed Tijani equalled things up for the improved side in the second half after a well-manoeuvred passage of football.
Dimitrios Goutas was sent off early into the second half after denying Bali Mumba a clear goal scoring opportunity, gifting the hosts a dangerous free kick in front of the Devonport End.
It was a frustrating first half for Argyle, not being able to string together a sequence of passes or movements, subsequently struggling to make any real threat on goal.
They were on the wrong end of some questionable decisions; however, they weren’t making the most of what possession they did have.
Cardiff were applying the pressure early and looked on the hunt for an early goal. They had chances through Aaron Ramsey and Callum O’Dowda, but neither could trouble Conor Hazard.
The hosts looked unorganised and dazzled in their passages of play, something that is unusual for the Miron Muslic side, but the Bluebirds were happy enough to profit from this.
The visitors got the goal they were looking for in the 11th minute through Salech, who was allowed a free shot at hazard after no green defender looked to apply any pressure. The Pilgrims had claims of a free kick for a foul on Bundu, but they were all waved away with ease. Will Alves continued his run and found his way past Callum Wright with ease before he put the cross into the box.
Argyle trying tricky and skilful play to catch the Welsh defence out, but it doesn’t work out and they begin a counter, while argyle have reduced numbers at the back, but they catch themselves out with a cross into the box that is unable to find a blue shirt
The Greens were struggling to play out and get into dangerous positions and looked to have a lack of confidence. They were struggling to retain possession when they had it and couldn’t pick the right passes to play, in order to have more threatening passages of play.
Cardiff looked to double their lead on the brink of half time through Will Alves after he was unmarked on the edge of the box, but he placed his shot over the bar.
Argyle started the second half strongly with a chance coming from Mumba. He received the ball back from Adam Randell after he made a promising run but there was too much on it for the substitute to make anything more of it.
The Pilgrims looked more organised and were subsequently enjoying more time with the ball; whatever Muslic had to say at half-time certainly did the job.
Mumba had a chance from range, but it went wide and was of no threat to Alnwick. He was once again the man of the moment after was fouled on the edge of the box by Goutas, who was sent off for the challenge.
Mumba thought he had levelled things up for The Greens, but his shot rattled the crossbar. The cross came in from Bundu and took a deflection on the way into Bundu.
The Pilgrims had more promising passages of play since having the player advantage and looked likely to claw one back from the visitors.
Tijani got Argyle the goal they so desperately needed in the 66th minute after Bundu was unselfish inside the box and crossed him the long-range pass from Maxi.
Argyle had earned themselves another free kick, which was crossed in well by Tymoteusz Puchacz and found the head of Bundu, but he couldn’t do enough to guide it into the back of the net.
The Green Army were getting more vocal the further the clock ticked on, and more questionable decisions were being made but got most ticked off at the time-wasting from the blues, particularly Jak Alnwick, for who the first ball was never quite good enough.
It seemed the players had also had enough, with Alnwick going down clutching his hamstring after taking a goal kick, there was an altercation between a few of the players as they believed it was yet another simulation and feigning of injury.
Argyle looked disheartened at the final whistle, as they knew they had missed out on some crucial points, which would have lifted them into safety. They will now look ahead to their FA Cup clash with Manchester City next Saturday before they return to league action against relegation threatened Hull the following Tuesday.
Argyle
21 Conor Hazard (GK) 4 Jordan Houghton ‘58 (19 Malachi Boateng ) 6 Kornel Szucs 11 Callum Wright ‘45( 2 Bali Mumba) 15 Mustapha Bundu 17 Tymoteusz Pucha 20 Adam Randell ’85 (18 Darko Gyabi) 25 Nikola Katie 28 Rami Al Hajj ’63 (26 Muhamed Tijani) 40 Maksym Talovierov 44 Victor Palsson ’58 (29 Matthew Sorinola)
Unused Subs
31 Daniel Grimshaw (GK) 3 Nathanael Ogbeta 5 Julio Pleguzuelo Gyabi 30 Michael Baidoo
Cardiff
21 Jak Alnwick (GK) 4 Dimitrios Goutas 10 Aaron Ramsey 11 Callum O’Dowda 15 Sivert Mannsverk 22 Yousef Saleh ’87 (39 Isaak Davies) 23 Joel Bagan ’63 (2 Will Fish) 27 Rubin Colwill ’76 (45 Cian Ashford) 29 Will Alves ’76 (19 Yakou Meite) 35 Andy Rinomhota 38 Perry Ng
Unused Subs
1 Ethan Horvath (GK) 8 Joe Ralls 16 Chris Willock 20 Anwar El Ghazi 49 Luey Giles