Shocking Pilgrims humiliated by heavy defeat to Coventry

THERE was Boxing Day humiliation for bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle as Coventry City thrashed them 4-0 to pile the pressure on Wayne Rooney.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

It was the fifth time this season the Pilgrims' boss had seen his side concede four goals or more in an away game after the heavy defeats against Sheffield Wednesday (4-0), Cardiff City (5-0), Norwich City (6-1) and Bristol City (4-0).

The statistics make dreadful reading for Argyle, who have now gone eight games without a win and have had just one victory in their last 13 Championship contests.

While their squad has been left badly-depleted by injuries, with Mustapha Bundu added to the list in this match, that is still no excuse for the largely dismal displays they have produced over an extended period of time.

Coventry had this game wrapped up by the break as they scored all four of their goals in the first half, with two from Josh Eccles and one apiece for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Ephron Mason-Clark - and they took it easy on the Pilgrims after that.

Even then, the agony was not over for Argyle as substitute Callum Wright was sent-off in the 87th minute and he will now be suspended for three games, starting at Oxford United on Sunday.

The boos heard coming from the travelling Green Army in one corner of the Coventry Building Society Arena at the final whistle were completely understandable.

Sixteen-year-old apprentice Tegan Finn started the Boxing Day match as one of two changes to the team from the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough at Home Park on Saturday.

Rooney selected the academy product as the replacement for Michael Obafemi, who had been added to Argyle's injury list in the early stages of the game against Middlesbrough.

Finn had become Argyle's sixth youngest ever player at the age of 16 years and 230 days when he made his debut off the bench in the 3-0 defeat at Leeds United on November 2.