Pilgrims take huge step towards staying up

PLYMOUTH Argyle gave their hopes of Championship survival a huge boost with a famous 1-0 victory over table-topping Leicester City at a raucous Home Park.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

“We are staying up” sang the jubilant Green Army after the final whistle as the Pilgrims’ players and staff celebrated on the pitch, while the fans joined in from the stands.

Those supporters had given Argyle tremendous vocal backing from start to finish and a superb 21st minute strike from Mustapha Bundu was enough to earn a first home win in seven matches.

It is also now seven points from three games since Neil Dewsnip and Kevin Nancekivell took temporary charge after the Easter Monday sacking of Ian Foster.

While there is still work to be done for the Pilgrims to stay up, there is no doubting this result will have done wonders for their confidence going into the final three fixtures, starting away to Steven Schumacher’s Stoke City on Saturday.

Argyle’s starting line-up against Leicester showed five changes from the 1-1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

Defenders Julio Pleguezuelo and Brendan Galloway came into the side, as did left wing-back Mickel Miller and midfielder Adam Forshaw.

There was also a recall for Bundu in the ‘number 10’ position next to Morgan Whittaker as Argyle again lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Whittaker was also the Pilgrims’ captain with Jordan Houghton and Joe Edwards both among the substitutes, as was 17-year-old Freddie Issaka, who came into the squad instead of Matty Sorinola.

Leicester made three changes to their team after losing 1-0 away to Millwall on Tuesday, with James Justin, Abdul Fatawu and Patson Daka replacing Callum Doyle, Yunus Akgun and former England striker Jamie Vardy.

There was yet another sold-out Home Park crowd and the Green Army were in great voice in the early stages of the game as they got behind their team.