City: Simonsen, Hoefkens, Duberry, Hill, Higginbotham, Chadwick (Whitley, 59), Brammer, Russell, Sweeney (Harper, 80), Sidibe, Pericard.Subs Not Used: Pulis, Dickinson, Sigurdsson,
Plymouth: McCormick, Hodges, Doumbe, Aljofree, Connolly, Norris, Wotton, Nalis, Capaldi (Reid, 72), Hayles, Chadwick (Ewbanks-Blake, 55).Subs Not Used: Sawyer, Buszaky, Summerfield.
A disappointing performance, especially in the first half, resulted in a third consecutive league draw for the Potters.
City, thankful to Steve Simonsen for some match-saving early saves, were fortunate to take the lead in the first half through Mamady Sidibe. When the visitors equalised with twelve minutes to go, the Pilgrims could justifiably claim that justice was eventually done.
The Potters were back to full strength for the clash against the manager's former club, but before City's thirty-eighth minute goal, it was the visitors who had the best chances whilst City failed to pose a serious threat on the Argyle goal.
In fact, had it not been for three excellent saves by Simonsen, the match would have been out of the Potters' reach well before Sidibe's first strike of the season.
City started slowly, and after ten minutes Argyle's Nick Chadwick, benefiting from the chaos in the City rearguard caused by a left-wing cross, hammered in a right-foot shot which seemed destined for the bottom left-hand corner of the goal before the 'keeper flung himself full-length to parry the ball to safety.
Simonsen was City's saviour again a quarter of an hour later when he somehow managed to get his finger-tips to a Barry Hayles header to deflect the ball away from the top left-hand corner of the net.
The visitors were clearly on top, and again almost took the lead after thirty-three minutes when Hayles' goal-bound shot was blocked by Simonsen, before ricocheting around the six-yard box like a pin-ball with Carl Hoefkens making another vital block to get the ball away.
City, by contrast, were one-dimensional, relying too much on long balls directed to two isolated strikers who, lacking a good service and being tightly marked, were unable to hold the ball up for long or knock the ball down to midfielders who were being forced deep to reinforce the defence where Michael Duberry and Clint Hill had to be on their toes to repulse the visitors.
When City scored, it was against the run of play, but owed much to the persistence of Vincent Pericard who held off a challenge on the right of the penalty area before pulling the ball back into the middle, where Mamady Sidibe finished coolly, hitting the ball to Luke McCormick's right from twelve yards for his first goal of the season. It must have been a confidence booster as well as a reward for a player who never stops working.
The Potters would have gone into half-time relieved to be a goal up after being second-best for most of the forty-five minutes.
City came out for the second half in livelier mood, with Peter Sweeney's volley passing narrowly over the bar just after Tony Capaldi should have done better for the visitors when a right-wing cross found him free in the penalty area.
City at least were now playing at a higher tempo, and despite the pacy Sylvain Ebanks-Blake replacing Chadwick, City's goal did not look in grave danger.
City's Chadwick was also withdrawn, making way for Jeff Whitley with Darel Russell switching to wide right.
The Argyle centre-backs were incurring the wrath of the Boothen End but leaving the officials unmoved with some physical play against Pericard in particular, but it was City's passing and lack of craft and width going forward which was the main cause of the lack of penetration up front, and with twelve minutes to go the Pilgrims equalised.
Two visitors' corners were cleared, the last for a long throw-in which caused mayhem in the six-yard box where Hayles made it third time lucky, hooking the ball past Simonsen. It was disappointing to concede a goal from a predictable set-piece.
Kevin Harper came on for Sweeney to force a save out of McCormick with five minutes remaining but it was the visitors who had the best chances to clinch victory, both in time added-on through substitute Reuben Reid.
An excellent saving tackle from Michael Duberry thwarted the ex-Manchester Utd youngster, who then spurned another opportunity to take all three points at the death.
In the end City, though disappointed to lose two points, will reflect that the result was a reasonable reward for a below-par performance.
Bob James
