Stoppage time Morgan Whittaker goal saves Plymouth Argyle from defeat

Morgan Whittaker scored in added time as Plymouth Argyle completed an amazing fightback to draw 3-3 with Preston North End at Home Park.

There were boos from some of the Green Army as the Pilgrims went in at half-time trailing 2-0 after being second best all over the pitch to their visitors. When Brad Potts further extended Preston’s lead in the 48th minute it looked like it was only a matter of how many more goals they would go on to get, such was Argyle’s woeful display to that point.

However, 18-year-old Freddie Issaka marked his full league debut for Argyle by scoring his first senior goal soon afterwards to at least offer some encouragement for the home side.

Preston continued to be an attacking threat but could not make that count and the Pilgrims reduced their arrears to 3-2 in the 82nd minute with a far post header from substitute Andre Gray.

Then, as has happened so often in the past, Whittaker came up with a vital goal in front of a packed Devonport End as he fired past Preston ‘keeper Freddie Woodman from inside the penalty area in the second minute of added time.

It secured a point for Argyle which kept them out of the bottom three in the Championship in 21st position, and meant they avoided a third consecutive defeat in only eight days after previously losing 5-0 away to Cardiff City and 1-0 at Millwall.

Issaka made his first league start for Argyle as one of five changes to the starting line-up from the game at Millwall. The academy graduate replaced Mustapha Bundu in the wide left attacking role as Ibrahim Cissoko served the second of a three-match suspension.

Lewis Gibson’s record of playing every minute of every Championship game this season came to an end because of a thigh injury. His place in central defence alongside Kornel Szucs was taken by Iceland international Victor Palsson.

The three other changes were Adam Forshaw, Rami Al Hajj and Michael Obafemi coming into the team for Darko Gyabi, Callum Wright and Ryan Hardie, who all dropped down to the substitutes’ bench.

Preston, unbeaten in their previous four league games, had former Argyle loan signing Kaine Kesler-Hayden at right-back. The 22-year-old spent the first half of last season with the Pilgrims.

Issaka was soon into the action as he made a surging run down the left when he took on Kesler-Hayden and eventually won a throw-in, as well as loud applause from the Green Army.

It was Preston who had the first scoring chance, however, when Greenwood had a one-on-one inside the Argyle box with Dan Grimshaw but the goalkeeper saved well with an outstretched right boot. Moments later, Palsson charged down a shot from Frokjaer-Jensen and when the ball dropped to Preston captain Ben Whiteman he fired off target from 20 yards out.

Issaka continued his bright start when he had a strike inside the North End penalty area blocked by defender Jordan Storey before Argyle captain Joe Edwards made a well-timed tackle on Greenwood as he tried to create a shooting chance for himself on the edge of the box.

Greenwood went on to open the scoring in the 16th minute as Argyle’s wait to keep a first Championship clean sheet of the season continued. There was an initial opportunity for Kesler-Hayden when he ran in behind left-back Bali Mumba after a clever pass from Greenwood and he fired the ball towards goal, but Grimshaw was able to beat it away.

However, the rebound went out to Greenwood, who was in a central position inside the penalty area, and he dispatched the ball into the net with a firm shot, possibly with the aid of a deflection.

As so often this season, Argyle had conceded the first goal of the game and Preston had another decent chance soon afterwards when Greenwood got in a shot but it hit his team-mate Ali McCann and went just wide of Grimshaw’s right post.

Preston striker Emil Riis had the next opportunity with a fierce drive which flew over the bar. He claimed that Grimshaw had got a touch to the ball but referee Andy Davies gave a goal kick.

There was little coming from Argyle from an attacking perspective and Preston were well in control. Riis could have put them further ahead when he twisted his way past Palsson in the 33rd minute but his left-foot shot was saved by Grimshaw.

Argyle could have drawn level against the run of play when the ball was played into the path of Obafemi but his first touch was not good enough and before he could shoot Preston defender Liam Lindsay slid in to clear the danger.

The visitors then doubled their advantage in the third and final minute of added time as Preston caught Argyle on the counter attack. Riis played the ball across to Frokjaer-Jensen who was not closed down by Palsson and he fired into the bottom corner of the net.

Seconds later, Davies blew for half-time and Argyle were left facing a huge task to try to turnaround the match. It got even worse for the Pilgrims early in the second period as Potts ran in behind Edwards and dinked the ball over Grimshaw to make it 3-0.

Not only that, but Edwards suffered an apparent hamstring injury in attempting to get back and had to be replaced by Julio Pleguezuelo, who went into central defence as Palsson moved to right-back.

Argyle desperately needed something to lift their spirits and it came courtesy of Issaka. Adam Randell’s 55th minute free-kick was clawed away by Woodman but the Wales under-19 international reacted the fastest and slotted into the net to reduce the deficit to 3-1.

A double Argyle substitution soon followed as Gray and Darko Gyabi were sent on for Al Hajj and Forshaw, and after Issaka’s strike there was at last some attacking impetus from the home side.

Preston still posed a major threat when they went forward, though, as Riis demonstrated in the 64th minute when he raced down the inside-right channel and dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Rooney made another double change in the 72nd minute as Issaka and Obafemi were replaced by Bundu and Hardie respectively. Argyle just could not deal with the physical presence of Riis and he had a close range shot blocked behind for a corner by Pleguezuelo after a cut-back from substitute Duane Holmes, who had got in behind Mumba.

Still, the Pilgrims were able to further reduce their deficit to 3-2 in the 82nd minute when Mumba put in an excellent cross from the left and it was met by a firm far post header from Gray.

It was the experienced striker’s first game for Argyle at Home Park after making his debut off the bench against Millwall and his goal gave his side renewed hope for the closing stages. Incredibly, they then came up with an equaliser in the second minute of added time.

Randell swung in a cross from the left which reached Bundu beyond the far post and he played the ball back to Whittaker, whose trusty left foot did not let him down as he fired past Woodman to make it 3-3.

There was even one chance for Argyle to win it as Gray got in a terrific right-foot shot which was destined for the far corner of the net until it was touched wide by Woodman at full stretch.

ARGYLE: Dan Grimshaw; Joe Edwards (Julio Pleguezuelo 50 mins), Kornel Szucs, Victor Palsson, Bali Mumba; Adam Forshaw (Andre Gray 58 mins), Adam Randell; Morgan Whittaker, Rami Al Hajj (Darko Gyabi 58 mins), Freddie Issaka (Mustapha Bundu 72 mins); Michael Obafemi (Ryan Hardie 72 mins).

Substitutes (not used): Marko Marosi, Nathanael Ogbeta, Jordan Houghton, Callum Wright.

PRESTON: Freddie Woodman; Kaine Kesler-Hayden (Stefan Thordarson 72 mins), Jordan Storey, Liam Lindsay, Andrew Hughes; Ben Whiteman, Ali McCann; Sam Greenwood, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen (Duane Holmes 63 mins), Robbie Brady (Brad Potts 31 mins); Emil Riis.

Substitutes (not used): David Cornell, Jack Whatmough, Layton Stewart, Ryan Ledson, Jeppe Okkels, Kian Best.

REFEREE: Andy Davies

ATTENDANCE: 16,443 (597)

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