Plymouth Argyle surged into the League One play-off places with a dominant 3-0 win over Barnsley at Home Park on Saturday. The result lifts them to sixth in the table on 10 points after six games, just three points behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday.
Oliver Irow, the Tottenham loanee, set the tone by scoring after just one minute. Julio Pleguezuelo provided the assist for the early strike, with Tyrese Noslin also involved in the build-up. Barnsley had a chance to respond when Tyrese Noslin shot wide from inside the area in the 20th minute, but Plymouth doubled their lead two minutes later.
Captain leads by example
Captain Wes Harding launched a long throw into the box and Ronan Curtis met it with a powerful header to make it 2-0. Barnsley defender Connor O'Riordan did well to clear a later Curtis header off the line, but the visitors could not stem the tide.
Aribim Pepple, who had been marked by O'Riordan, completed the scoring five minutes into the second half, finishing from close range after a pass from Harvey White. The goal was Pepple's second in as many games, following his strike in the 3-2 win at Doncaster the previous weekend.
Manager Ian Build told reporters after the match that he was pleased with the team's intensity from the first whistle. "We asked for a fast start and the players delivered exactly that," he said. "To score that early settles everyone and allows you to play with confidence."
The victory extends Plymouth's recent run to three wins from their last five matches, a sequence that includes a 2-0 win over Bradford and that dramatic victory at Doncaster.
Plymouth now turn their attention to a trip to face Blackpool next Saturday. Blackpool sit 10th in the table, four points behind Argyle. The squad's current form and goal threat is detailed in our stats section.
