WAYNE Rooney was sent-off as Plymouth Argyle conceded a controversial late equaliser only for Morgan Whittaker to come up with a dramatic last-gasp goal to clinch a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Home Park.
It was a third consecutive Championship win at Home Park for the Pilgrims, who moved up to 14th position with 11 points from their first nine games this season, going into the second international break of 2024/25.
On-loan Burnley striker Michael Obafemi had opened the scoring for Argyle in the 16th minute and they held that lead until the 86th minute when Blackburn substitute Joe Rankin-Costello scored with a looping header.
Rooney and his backroom staff were furious the Pilgrims had not been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to the goal for a trip on substitute Ryan Hardie, who was back defending in his own penalty area, and their anger led to the Pilgrims' boss being sent-off by referee James Linington.
However, with Rooney watching from the tunnel area, a fired up Argyle finished the game strongly and Whittaker headed home in the seventh and final minute of added time as Home Park exploded into noise.
Joe Edwards returned to captain the side against Blackburn. He had sat out the midweek 1-0 defeat away to Burnley after picking up a knock.
That was one of three changes to the team for the Pilgrims' last game before the second international break of the season. Bali Mumba and Obafemi were also called up by Rooney.
Hardie dropped down to the substitutes' bench and there was no place in the matchday squad for Nathanael Ogbeta and Victor Palsson after the trio had all started against Burnley.
Ogbeta and Palsson carried out some running on the pitch more than an hour before kick-off under the supervision of head of sports science Connor Derbidge, and they were joined by Argyle's new signing Andre Gray.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 07, 2024 من The Herald.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 07, 2024 من The Herald.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Pleguezuelo's late equaliser earns battling Pilgrims a point
DEFENDER Julio Pleguezuelo scored his first-ever goal for Plymouth Argyle when he grabbed a stoppage time equaliser to secure a point from a 2-2 New Year's Day draw against Bristol City at Home Park.
A question of sport
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAST YEAR
END OF A VERA
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR FAVOURITE DETECTIVE
All change across the nation
2024 SAW NEW LEADERS TAKE THEIR POSITIONS IN ALL FOUR OF THE UK'S PARLIAMENTS
Spectacular show was well worth the sea trip
MALCOLM BASSETT-SMITH EMBARKS ON A MISSION TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, VIA A CRUISE TO NORWAY
Migrant crossings up 25% in 2024
THE number of migrants arriving in the UK in 2024 after crossing the English Channel in small boats was up by a quarter on the previous year, figures show.
10 dead as car hits crowd
AN SUV ploughed into a crowd celebrating New Year in the United States city of New Orleans, leaving 10 people dead, according to the BBC. Thirty people were also reported to have been injured.
Three-day warning over snow threat
A THREE-DAY snow warning has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend, as the Met Office has warned rural communities could be cut off.
DJ plays house party surprise
BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free has said it was \"brilliant\" to go \"back\" to her roots and play a house party in Glasgow, after her set at Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party was cancelled due to bad weather.
Killer's parole hearing
ONE of Stephen Lawrence’s killers is to face a parole hearing in 2025, the Parole Board has confirmed.