A disappointing result to open April for the Pilgrims against Charlton; a game where Plymouth Argyle had plenty of opportunities to get a result but ultimately fell short once again, an all too familiar scene this season.

Starting XI

Matt Macey – 5

A relatively quiet afternoon from the young Gunner as he only faced 3 shots on target throughout the game, but as the score line reflects that was enough to turn over the relatively lacklustre Pilgrims. A disappointing show of technical distribution throughout the game saw the ball lost upon numerous occasions. Combining with this was the frequent kicking towards Addicks centre half Nabby Sarr, standing at 6ft 4”, this was always going to result in a turnover in possession and certainly contributed to the lack of time spent attacking during the second half.

Oscar Threlkeld – 6

A professional performance from the former Bolton right back on Saturday as he was relatively solid in dealing with the majority of the Charlton attacks. However, a lapse in concentration in the sencond half, as Charlton danger man Johnny Williams waltzed his way down the line and with some mesmerizing footwork which left Threlkeld fearing to put a foot in, resulted in a cross that was met by the boot of Niall Canavan, and subsequently the net.

Ryan Edwards – 5

A poor afternoon from the Scouse centre half as he was left in the dust of familiar face Lyle Taylor upon numerous occasions. Regularly a thorn in Argyle’s side, the ex-Wimbledon striker took advantage of the relatively sluggish Ryan Edwards in order to score the opening goal. Sloppy marking saw Taylor lose his marker before heading the ball home from close range under little pressure. Despite this mistake, Edwards does continue to look a strong asset and has improved since his Home Park debut against Charlton at the beginning of last season.

Niall Canavan – 5

The Argyle number 14 had a similarly difficult afternoon as his centre half partner had endured. The tricky combination of Aribo, Taylor and Williams was a difficult one to cope with and resulted in the former Scunthorpe man struggling to deal with the quick flowing football that was offered by the technical trident. Ended up offerning nothing of vital importance in either penalty area.

Gary Sawyer – 4

An unusually shaky performance from the Argyle skipper as he was clearly identified as a weak point by Lee Bowyer’s men. Lyle Taylor tactically placed himself on the Argyle number three in the attempt to utilize his speed and height against the veteran full-back. This tactical decision proved fruitful for the visitors as Sawyer struggled to handle the tricky forward and was given the run around in a relatively disappointing afternoon for the Pilgrims.

Antoni Sarcevic – 5

A fitness doubt before kick off but medically passed fit was Mancunian midfielder Antoni Sarceivc. Unusually, however, he was quiet throughout. Despite being full of energy throughout the rest of the season the former Shrewsbury man was appeared timid. A second half substitution for forward Ryan Taylor saw the midfielder’s afternoon cut short. Questions must be asked whether or not Sarcevic was fully match fit or whether he was included due to his vital importance to this Argyle team.

David Fox – 6

Lee Bowyer was one of the first ever managers to publicly speak about the importance of David Fox with the Plymouth Argyle team. The victory the Addicks achieved last season was down to the fact that they prevented the ball from getting to the former Norwich man. A similar tactic was deployed on Saturday afternoon as Fox was left with little time on the ball as well as his options being limited due to the well positioned marking of the Charlton midfield. Saturday’s performance from the Argyle number 8 was restricted severely by the setup of the London side which inevitably resulted in the Greens struggling to get a grip on the game. Not necessarily the fault of Fox but more of a downfall of the tactics deployed on the day.

Jamie Ness – 7 (Man of the Match)

A rare bright light within a relatively dull afternoon at Home Park was Scottish midfielder Jamie Ness. A high work ethic combined with the superb blocking of cross field balls resulted in Ness picking up today’s man of the match award. He frequently found himself at the heart of the majority of Argyle attacks, and he did just as well when breaking down a significant amount of Charlton attacks. Despite his superb performance, the system deployed by the London side once again restricted the freedom iof the former Scunphorpe man.

Ruben Lamerias – 6

A Jekyll and Hyde like performance from the Portuguese winger as he ran havoc during the first 45 but remained a lot less effective throughout the final half. Subject to consistent fouling throughout the first half resulted in numerous fans left scratching their heads at how Charlton remained with 11 men. However, Lamerias did entice a rash challenge within the penalty area which was subsequently awarded with a penalty in which was squandered by Argyle talisman Graham Carey. A less positive second half resulted in the visitors coping with the tricky feet of the Lisbon-born winger as little clear cut opportunities were created throughout the second half.

Freddie Ladapo – 5

A frustrating afternoon from Ladapo as he was left with little to no chances. A first half chance after the penalty miss was left begging as well as a second half curling effort from outside of the box which soared into the Devonport End, but bar these two opportunities there was little to shout about for the former Crystal Palace forward. Another talking point would be the limited aerial prowess of the forward. Charlton’s towering centre halves proved to cause problems for Argyle as their target man centred play was unable to be utilized due to this aerial dominance.

Graham Carey – 6

A quiet afternoon seems to be a frequent pattern which has been enforced in todays report and Graham Carey is a player who fills into this category as well. A superbly saved penalty during the first half was the most involved the Irish talisman was during Saturday afternoon’s encounter. An ever so consistent dead ball situation in Carey was expected to dispatch from 12 yards but an unusually poor penalty was saved by the feet of the Charlton stopper. Not a lot else to be mentioned for the number 10’s performance apart from a few pot shots from range.

Substitutes

Ryan Taylor – 5

A brief showing of the Argyle number 9 showed little effectiveness as his skills were not utilized to the greatest extent. Introduced in order to help make the ball stick in the final third, he was ultimately met with a similar problem to which Ladapo encountered earlier on. The towering centre halves prevented the reliable striker from being able to get the ball down and distribute effectively. Not an awful appearance from the Rotherham-born striker, but the consistent theme of a quiet performance is present here once again.

Lloyd Jones – 6

Not a lot to show for the Luton loanee’s performance and little talk about, but this must suggest that despite not being notably busy he must of gone about his business in a very tidy manner.

Alex Fletcher – 6

A late introudciton for the Newton Abbot born striker saw little impact. A late strike on target during the dying minutes and some confident hold up play was about all Fletcher had time for in his short cameo. Not a bad performance by any means.