Plymouth Argyle secured a second consecutive home win, defeating Luton Town 3-1 on a thrilling Friday night at Home Park.
The game started at a frenetic pace, with both teams trying to control the tempo on a slick surface that made for fast football. Plymouth capitalized on their first real opportunity to take the lead.
Rami Al Hajj opened the scoring for Argyle after a brilliant buildup. Darko Gyabi used his strength to protect the ball before playing it to Michael Obafemi, who passed to Ryan Hardie. Hardie set up Al Hajj, whose first-time finish beat Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to put Plymouth ahead.
Plymouth dominated the next 15 minutes, creating several chances, including a near miss from Obafemi. Al Hajj came close to doubling his tally, but Kaminski produced a fine save to keep the score at 1-0. Luton, however, began to gain momentum as the half progressed, with Elijah Adebayo and Mark McGuinness both threatening to equalize. Plymouth hung on to their lead at the break.
Tahith Chong, the 24-year-old former Manchester United winger, collapsed on the pitch late in the first half after taking a heavy knock to the head. The incident left him motionless, prompting immediate medical attention from the Luton staff.
Chong, who had been a key presence on the wing for Luton in the early stages of the game, eventually walked off the pitch unaided, though visibly shaken and with a noticeable bump on his head. The sight of him walking off provided relief to both sets of supporters, though his absence was keenly felt as Plymouth capitalised after the break. Chong’s pace and work ethic had caused problems for Plymouth’s defence before the incident, and his departure left Luton lacking some of the attacking threat he had provided.
In the second half, Cissoko replaced Al Hajj and made an immediate impact, scoring Plymouth’s second goal after another strong run from Gyabi. However, Luton responded quickly through Victor Moses, who fired home just moments after the restart.
Luton piled on the pressure with a series of corners, but Plymouth’s defense held firm. In stoppage time, Cissoko added his second goal of the game to secure the win, rounding off the match with a composed finish after some neat footwork. Plymouth’s ability to withstand Luton’s pressure and finish clinically on the counter secured all three points, keeping their home form strong.
However, despite the win, Rooney admitted that his side was “a little sloppy” at times, particularly in the second half.
“It was a good performance for different reasons tonight,” Rooney said after the match. “In the first half, we controlled the tempo of the game. Luton tried to press us, and when we played with composure and through the press, we caused them problems. Second half, we were a little sloppy and gave the ball away a little bit too often, but our back four were excellent.”
Rooney praised his defenders for their resilience, saying, “I thought how we dealt with Adebayo – who is a very difficult player to play against – was good, and Luton are very good at set-pieces. I thought how we defended against them was brilliant.”
“There were lots of things I was happy about,” Rooney continued. “Rami, first start and a great finish from him, and then Ibrahim came on and scored two. All in all, a good night.”
The result lifts Rooney’s side up to 13th in the table, with eight points from their opening seven fixtures. They’re now above the Hatters, who have struggled to adapt to life in the second tier after their Premier League adventure last season.
“Credit to the opposition,” said Hatters’ boss Rob Edwards. “Both ends of the pitch they were better; they were more ruthless at one end and defended better at the other.”
Writer’s View
Plymouth Argyle’s victory over Luton Town shows their growing confidence under Wayne Rooney’s management. Despite moments of sloppiness in the second half, the team’s ability to withstand pressure and capitalize on chances highlights their resilience. With key players like Cissoko stepping up, Plymouth has proven they have the attacking firepower to challenge any team in the league.
Luton’s inability to convert their chances cost them dearly. Rob Edwards’ side controlled large portions of the game, particularly in the final third, but lacked the ruthlessness needed to break down Plymouth’s defense. If Luton is to avoid further setbacks, they will need to improve both ends of the pitch, as Edwards rightly pointed out.