ARGYLE manager Ryan Lowe believes the players’ response to last Saturday’s league defeat to local rivals Exeter City has been exemplary.
The Pilgrims face Grimsby Town at Home Park in their next Sky Bet League Two fixture tomorrow and a chance to move forward as a squad to regain their form and push on in the table.
With Tuesday’s game in the Leasing.com group stage game against Chelsea ending in a last-minute loss, Lowe wants his players to put things right quickly in terms of positive results.
“The attitude and application has been second to none,” said Ryan.“The next response we will find out Saturday, but I think Tuesday, we played the way I wanted us to play, I made a few changes but that was always going to be the case.
“Without dwelling on it, we know we’ve got to put it right and put it right quick. We’ve got the opportunity to do that Saturday.”
The Exeter defeat was a shock to the system after successive home victories over Carlisle and Leyton Orient.
While it was a result that came from nowhere after a positive recent run, losing to your Devon rivals is never going to be an easy one to take.
“When we beat Carlisle 2-0 and Leyton Orient 4-0, everyone’s happy, then you go away to your local rivals and you don’t perform, we know, we lost,” said Ryan.
“We’ve lost one in seven, so that’s the positives we look at. For us, we know where we are at, we know the level we are at and we know where we are at, and were at it for a reason.
“We’re just outside the play-offs and we know where we need to get to and, if we keep putting performances together, which we will, and keep scoring goals, working on keeping the ball out of the net, keep working on the patterns of play and the way we play, then we will be fine.”
Grimsby Town have taken four points from their last three away games in Sky Bet League Two, which is a boost for the Mariners to take into this game at the Theatre of Greens under the guidance of their manager Michael Jolley.
“Jolley is a terrific young coach, young manager, he’s got some good players there that are effective in what they do,” said Ryan.
“I always say it, there’s not one team that’s going to come here and I say that we’re going to roll them over, no chance. Grimsby are not going to be any different, they’re going to travel down and be looking to come to Home Park, and look to try and win a game of football.
“It will be nice for them to play here, hopefully we will put ten thousand on and why wouldn’t they want to against Plymouth Argyle when there’s going to be ten thousand fans here.
“We’re not underestimating them at all, we know it’s a task on our hands, but I feel that if we do what we are capable of doing and play the way we want to play, I’d be comfortable.”
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