Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

It’s 2006, Argyle are third in the Championship after the first couple months of the season and we are looking good going forward, no one in this league scares me. Premier League bound.

 

Paul Wotton rightly receives goal of the month for his wonder solo goal against Sunderland, clattering someone and then running the length of the pitch to smash it in.

Not sure what gave Steve Bruce the edge over me, sharing the same 100% win record. Probably his massive head.

 

Carl Fletcher’s Crystal Palace, but he’s on the bench. Pantomime villain Clinton Morrison starts up-top.

 

A boring 0-0.

 

We are favourites away at Barnsley.

 

Former Argyle superstars Daniel Nardiello and Paul Hayes start for Barnsley.

 

It’s another bore-draw. The unbeaten run stays intact, I guess.

 

Hull next, who bravely start Jon Parkin at left back up against Scott Sinclair. Okay, Hull.

I instruct us to exploit the right flank.

 

Well, that didn’t start off the best. 1-0 down at half-time due as Michael Turner out-jumps Doumbe from a wide-free-kick. (A case for Timar to start more often, perhaps.)

But he has a redeeming second half, getting on the end of 2 of our 3 goals from wide-free kicks. Buszaky and Capaldi getting two assists each, the only non-set piece goal coming from smart Barry Hayles movement in the six-yard box.

 

Back up to third. If those draws were win’ we could have been top.

Oh well, what can you do. You can’t change history..

 

 

Stoke next, and Tony Pulis who at this point in history had just left Argyle to return to Stoke, so a chance to show him what he’s missing.

 

Must have forgot to record the teams, but oh well, just read the report.

‘Stoke City taught a lesson’

‘..marred by a succession of fouls by Stoke’

That’s what we like to see.

 

Norwich City have a pretty good team and start a 37 year old Dion Dublin up top with Earnshaw. Not to be under-estimated.

 

3 minutes in and thats Paul Wotton getting himself sent off for a horror tackle.

I guess that’s just Paul being Paul.

Somehow we have to survive 87 minutes with 10 men.

 

67 minutes and it’s still 0-0 surprisingly.

Halmosi dances with the ball out wide.

 

Lobs a ball back out towards the edge of the penalty area.

Out of nowhere Nalis comes steaming in…

 

Catches it sweet on the volley on his left(!) foot.

Top corner.

Absolute scenes as he replicate his 2003 goal of the year for Leicester.

I am bouncing around my office, this is the most alive I’ve felt all lockdown.

 

Of course Norwich go up the other end and score, but we will always have that moment. What a goal and a what a result with 10 men.

 

 

Back down to reality with a training injury for Luke, who had conceded the fewest goals in the league up untill this point.

But, we have another legend to replace him.

 

 

The 2006/07 Championship goal of the season competition will be all Argyle players at this rate.

 

Colchester – (H).

 

Nalis – Screamer.

 

Oh and Paul Connolly scored, which is as rare as it gets.

 

Still can’t seem to get in those automatic spots, but all in good time.

 

 

Should have beaten Preston, but it’s another draw.

Romain Larrieu with another error, pretty sure he has more errors than clean sheets.

 

10 unbeaten!

 

Stats!

 

Third!