Argyle suffer Sunderland defeat after second half battering

PLYMOUTH Argyle slipped to their first Championship defeat in four matches under Ian Foster as they saw a one-goal half-time lead turn into a 3-1 defeat by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

When Ryan Hardie put the Pilgrims ahead with his 12th goal of the season in the 39th minute they must have had hopes of securing a second successive away league win, after beating Swansea City 1-0 in south Wales the previous Saturday.

However, there was a very different outcome this time in north-east England as Sunderland hit back with three goals from Pierre Ekwah, Jack Clarke and substitute Jobe Bellingham before the midway point of the second half.

There was no coming back for Argyle from that barrage, and they now face the prospect of three consecutive home games in seven days, starting against Coventry City next Wednesday, to try and pick up a good haul of points to keep a decent gap between them and the relegation positions.

Argyle’s starting line-up against Sunderland showed four changes from the 4-1 extra-time defeat by Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth-round replay at Home Park last Tuesday.

The trio of Alfie Devine, Adam Forshaw and Darko Gyabi had all been unavailable for the cup clash but returned to Pilgrims’ duty at the Stadium of Light. Mickel Miller was also back at left wing-back after missing the Leeds tie following a family bereavement.

Joe Edwards, Adam Randell and Matty Sorinola dropped down to the substitutes’ bench and there was no Callum Wright in the matchday squad, which did include 17-year-old attacker Freddie Issaka.

Argyle’s right wing-back Bali Mumba returned to the club where he began his career and came through the youth ranks to make 10 first-team appearances for Sunderland, five of them starts, before being transferred to Norwich City in the summer of 2020.