Bundu marks debut with a goal in a dominant win against Owls

MUSTAPHA Bundu scored with a superb free-kick on his first start for Plymouth Argyle as they returned to winning ways at Home Park with a 3-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

Plymouth Argyle 3 

Sheffield Wednesday 0

It was a result which came after two successive defeats for the Pilgrims at the Theatre of Greens earlier in the month and moved them up to 18th position in the Championship.

Bundu opened the scoring for the Pilgrims in the 44th minute when he slammed a free-kick into the net off the underside of the crossbar and Morgan Whittaker then doubled their lead in added time to put them in control.

Substitute Ryan Hardie wrapped up the fourth home league win of the season for Argyle with his sixth goal of the season in the 76th minute while Mike Cooper kept a second successive clean sheet after making his comeback from a serious knee injury.

Bundu made his full Argyle debut against Wednesday as he played as the central striker in a 4-3-3 formation instead of Hardie, who was on the bench.

Hardie was probably in part at least being saved for the Pilgrims’ next game away to high-flying Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The other change to the Pilgrims’ side from the 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion was the return of captain Joe Edwards, with Mickel Miller named among the substitutes.

Edwards lined up at right-back while Kaine Kesler-Hayden again demonstrated his versatility as he switched across to the left of the defensive quartet.

There was a minute’s applause for the late, great Sir Bobby Charlton before kick-off at another sold-out Home Park, which started to be soaked with rain as the game got underway.

Argyle had the first attempt on goal after a promising counter-attack led by Bundu before Whittaker played the ball outside to Finn Azaz.