Plymouth Argyle 3 Northampton Town 2
NPOWER LEAGUE 2
Saturday September 1st, 3.00pm
Sixfields
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 3
Warren Feeney 47
Rhys Griffiths 59
Curtis Nelson 74
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 2
Alex Nicholls 26
David Artell 90
Attendance: 6,037 (away fans not confirmed)
Plymouth: Jake Cole, Durrell Berry, Robbie Williams, Maxime Blanchard, Darren Purse, Conor Hourihane, Paris Cowan-Hall (sub Alex MacDonald 33), Luke Young, Warren Feeney, Onismor Bhasera, Paul Wotton (sub Rhys Griffiths 46, sub Curtis Nelson 67).
Subs not used: Ollie Chenoweth, Joe Lennox, Andres Gurrieri, Johnny Gorman.
Cobblers: Lee Nicholls, Danny East, Joe Widdowson, Kelvin Langmead, David Artell, Chris Hackett (sub Henoc Mukendi 79), Ben Tozer, Luke Guttridge, Ben Harding (sub Ishmel Demontagnac 69), Adebayo Akinfenwa (sub Clive Platt 51), Alex Nicholls.
Subs not used: Lewis Wilson, Louis Moult, Anthony Charles, Dean Snedker.
Referee: Mr A Davies
Booked:
Plymouth: Alex MacDonald (88)
Cobblers: none
5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Plymouth: none
Cobblers: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Adebayo Akinfenwa replaced Clive Platt up front for the long trip to Plymouth. Lee Nicholls returned in goal with Danny East continuing at right-back in the absence of the injured John Johnson.
On a warm and sunny afternoon at Home Park, the Cobblers lined up in their bright green away strip with Plymouth in their traditional dark green.
The first shot on target didn't arrive until the midway point of the first half, Lee Nicholls saving comfortably from Paris Cowan-Hall.
Alex Nicholls gave the Cobblers the lead soon after with a terrific turn and shot from 10-yards following a low cross from Ben Tozer.
Luke Young spurned a good opportunity to level for Argyle on the half hour but his effort went wide.
Chris Hackett raced clear on 33 minutes but his cross was slightly behind goalscorer Nicholls who couldn't quite direct his shot on target. Nicholls was close again soon afterwards, sending the ball just wide of the far post from a corner.
Warren Feeney equalised for Plymouth at the start of the second half, heading in a cross from Onismor Bhasera.
Aidy Boothroyd made a change on 51 minutes, Clive Platt coming on for Akinfenwa.
Rhys Griffiths put the home side in front just before the hour mark, the striker side-footing home from close range.
The Cobblers then forced a flurry of corners as they looked to respond with Alex Nicholls going close. Ishmel Demontagnac then came onto replace Ben Harding.
Curtis Nelson made it 3-1 on 74 minutes with a looping header from a Bhasera cross. Demontagnac volleyed over as Henoc Mukendi came on for Chris Hackett.
A shot from Ben Tozer was tipped round the post by Jake Cole with David Artell heading the resulting corner against the post.
David Artell pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time, heading in a long throw from Ben Tozer. There was no time for another though as Plymouth recorded a 3-2 victory.
PLYMOUTH MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 6
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 6
CORNERS: (1) 4
FOULS: (2) 11
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 5
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (1) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 8
CORNERS: (2) 9
FOULS: (10) 14
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 2
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.