On a chilly Friday evening in December, it was a frosty reception which greeted the full time whistle as the green’s slumped to their first league defeat at home, here’s how the players are rated:
Michael Cooper – 6: Perhaps would be disappointed at the second goal from his point of view but made two crucial saves in the first half to keep the game level before the break. The wait for a clean sheet goes on.
Bali Mumba – 5: Had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the first half but dragged his effort wide and compared to his recent high standards, this was a frustrating evening for the Norwich loanee.
Nigel Lonwijk – 5: Lonwijk’s recent struggles continued against Port Vale as he featured on the right side of the back three. Went off with a contact injury just before Vale doubled their advantage.
James Wilson – 5: Playing as the central defender along the backline, Wilson doesn’t seem as comfortable for me when occupying that position and looks far happier on the right side where he can get forward with the ball at his feet more.
Macauley Gillesphey – 5: Reverting back to the left side of the defence on this occasion, ‘Macca’ wasn’t as effective as he had been against Burton. His aerial ability must be put to better use as the central defender in the absence of Dan Scarr in my opinion.
Joe Edwards – 5: A quiet game for the captain who wasn’t great but equally wasn’t dreadful. Swapped wings with Mumba halfway through the first period but it had no bearing on Argyle getting back into the game.
Jordan Houghton – 6: Houghton just does his job. It’s not pretty at times but it is often effective for his side. Argyle struggled to get any control in the game until they through everyone forward. Solid. *Man of the match*
Adam Randell – 5: Similar to his midfield partner Houghton in many respects, Randell had a solid game if not being truly effective. However, no matter how much praised is heaped on Randell – his passing really is becoming a frustration as at times, he is very wasteful.
Morgan Whittaker – 5: Not the best evening for Morgan who bar one chance where he will feel he could’ve done better, there wasn’t a great amount coming from him throughout the game. Eventually substituted along with Mumba as Argyle tried everything to get back into the game.
Niall Ennis – 5: Won’t have a better chance to score than the opportunity he spurned over the bar in the second half with the goal at his mercy. Hit the post in the build up to that moment but the chance he missed could’ve been a real game changer with a huge momentum swing.
Ryan Hardie – 4: It’s just not working for Hardie in the past few weeks and like Ennis, wasted a wonderful opportunity, this time just before the halftime interval. We all know of his quality and what he’s capable of, we’ve just got to hope he rediscover’s his swagger quickly.
Substitutes
Danny Mayor – 5: A welcome return to action for Argyle’s number 10 but his half hour was flat on this occasion. It is wonderful to see him back in the side and he will have a pivotal role to play between now and the New Year.
Brendan Galloway – 5: Replaced Lonwijk just after Port Vale had scored their second goal. Didn’t have a huge amount of defending to do after that as the game was played almost exclusively in the Vale half of the pitch.
Sam Cosgrove – N/A – Replaced Whittaker on 76 minutes. Spent a lot of time wrestling and grappling Vale defenders.
Mickel Miller – N/A – Replaced Mumba on 76 minutes. Showed more bright glimpses on the left wing to suggest he has a future with the side moving forward if he stays fit.