Argyle well beaten in tame Carabao Cup exit

PLYMOUTH Argyle saw their attempt to reach the third round of the League Cup for the first time since 2007 end in a 2-0 defeat by Championship rivals Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

Danish striker Mileta Rajovic scored both goals for the Hertfordshire hosts, his first coming in the 17th minute when he managed to squeeze a low shot between the legs of Argyle’s debutant goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw.

The hosts did not extend their lead until the 72nd minute when Rajovic struck again and that wait was largely because of Grimshaw making a series of excellent saves.

Substitute Ryan Hardie hit the post with one late shot as Argyle, whose attacking play was sporadic apart from a decent spell towards the end of the first half, were well beaten in the end.

Wayne Rooney made nine changes to the team for the Carabao Cup clash from the 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers. The two survivors from the game at Loftus Road were Brendan Galloway and Darko Gyabi.

There was a debut for Grimshaw after the 26-year-old goalkeeper joined from League One outfit Blackpool last Friday, with Conor Hazard, who had played in the previous four matches, on the bench.

On-loan Burnley striker Michael Obafemi made his first start for Argyle after making his debut as a second half substitute against QPR and Jordan Houghton wore the captain’s armband, with Joe Edwards named among the substitutes, who also included Morgan Whittaker.

Watford boss Tom Cleverely, Rooney’s former Manchester United and England team-mate, also rang the changes with just four players remaining from the starting line-up from the 2-1 home win against Derby County. They were the quartet of Franciso Sierralta, James Morris, Tom Dele-Bashiru and Ryan Andrews.