Good morning, and welcome back to The Argyle Briefing.
Well, that was better, wasn’t it?
While the midweek trip to Leicester ended in disappointment, it was a much happier visit to Doncaster yesterday afternoon with Argyle recording their second win of the League One campaign.
Here’s your matchday review.
🏆 LEAGUE ONE (SAT 5 SEP 2026)
🔴 Doncaster Rovers 2
May 51 (pen)
Grehan 90+5
🟢 Plymouth Argyle 3
Evans 28
Pepple 74
Watts 83
After surviving an early scare when Brandon Hanlan dragged a shot narrowly wide, Argyle took the lead with a lovely move just before the half-hour. Bim Pepple laid the ball off for Oliver Irow to shoot, with Rovers keeper Tommy Simkin parrying the strike to the feet of Will Evans who could hardly miss from six yards.
Pepple thought he’d doubled the lead when he expertly volleyed in from close range but the flag was up for a debatable offside decision, and that decision took on extra significance with Rovers levelling shortly after the break. Matty Sorinola brought down Owen Bailey as he tried to clear a loose ball and referee Matt Corlett pointed to the spot, with Alfie May powering his penalty high to Murphy Cooper’s left to level the score.
Tom Cleverley turned to his bench to inject some extra energy and his decisions paid off with Argyle restoring their lead midway through the second half. Caleb Watts was one of the changes and he slipped a pass through to Pepple, who stroked the ball past Simkin.
With an assist to his name, Watts duly added his name to the scoresheet as well to extend Argyle’s lead in the 83rd minute. Alex Hartridge had been on the pitch a matter of moments when he headed the ball towards Pepple who, under pressure from Simkin, nodded it down for Watts to steer past the two covering defenders and into the net.
It wasn’t a completely clear run to the winning line, with Sean Grehan heading in at the back post in the fifth minute of six added on to make the final few moments unnecessarily nervy from an Argyle point of view. But, Corlett blew the whistle shortly after to signal the Pilgrims’ first away win of the season.
👥 Argyle line-up
M Cooper; W Harding, A Mitchell, J Pleguezuelo, M Sorinola (A Hartridge 82); R Curtis (O Oseni 72), T Bakinson (B Ibrahim 72), H White, O Irow (C Watts 63); B Pepple, W Evans (M Ross 82).
Unused subs: J Storer, J Edwards.
Tom Cleverley’s reaction
Immediate thoughts on the result:
“I felt after the third goal for us it could have been 4- or 5-1 and it probably should have been, so we’re disappointed to concede a soft goal towards the end but I’m thrilled with the result and the mentality.
“To suffer Tuesday’s setback, which was a big opportunity missed, and suffer a setback in-game today where whether it was a penalty or not — those decisions are not going for us at the minute.
“Then, to come back from an in-game setback, ultimately with the substitutes winning us the game today and their impact, is really pleasing because the mentality of the players is strong.”
On Caleb Watts’ impact from the bench:
“His intensity, his understanding of what the game needs [is excellent]. He is the best that we’ve got in the box in terms of sniffing a goal out. For want of a better word, he’s horrible in the box. He would throw anyone to the ground or out of the way to score a goal. He was excellent.”
On the attacking subs made at 1-1:
“I think that shows my mentality with what I think about draws. Some people may have viewed this a positive away point today, but it’s just not in my nature. I went to win the game with the substitutes and ultimately they have to go out there and deliver it, and they did.”
🆚️ League One results
Peterborough 1-2 Sheff Wed
Wigan 0-4 Stockport
Barnsley 1-5 Stevenage
Bradford 1-0 Mansfield
Burton 2-2 Cambridge
Doncaster 2-3 Argyle
Huddersfield 1-1 Notts Co
Leicester 0-4 Oxford
Luton 1-1 Leyton Orient
Reading 3-1 Blackpool
Wycombe 3-3 MK Dons
Bromley v AFC Wimbledon (Mon 8pm)
The Bigger Picture
Sheffield Wednesday are the new League One leaders after they won at Peterborough to earn their third successive win — they’ve also won all three of their away games this season.
Huddersfield Town would have kept their place at the top had they beaten Notts County, but Oliver Cooper cancelled out Marcus Harness’ opener for the Terriers.
Leicester City’s bumpy start to life in the third tier got its biggest jolt yet with fellow relegated side Oxford United putting four past the Foxes on their own patch. The former Premier League champions would be bottom of the league had Argyle beaten them in midweek.
📊 League One Table
⚪ 10. Oxford — 7 pts (+3)
⚪ 11. Blackpool — 7 pts (+2)
⚪ 12. Notts Co — 7 pts (+1)
⚪ 13. Argyle — 7 pts (-1)
⚪ 14. Barnsley — 7 pts (-2)
⚪ 15. Stevenage — 6 pts (+3)
⚪ 16. Mansfield — 6 pts (-3)
🟢 Automatic promotion 🟡 Play-offs 🔴 Relegation
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Matt Friday
Founder, The Argyle Briefing