The Iron grabbed a stoppage time equaliser to gain a late point at Home Park on Saturday. Alex Gilliead and Abo Eisa scored the United goals, earning their side a well-deserved point.
The Iron got off to a flying start, opening the scoring in the seventh minute, with the first real chance of the match.
Junior Brown found himself down the left hand side of the box, after linking up with Ryan Colclough, and the former squared to Alex Gilliead, who flicked the ball past Palmer, and into the net.
In the 12th minute, the hosts had their first half-chance of the game. through Joel Grant. The forward drifted wide before fizzing a ball across the face of goal, but there wasn’t a green shirt in sight to convert.
Six minutes later, the Pilgrims levelled the score at 1-1, following a corner from the left wing. Conor Grant delivered the ball to the back post for Gary Sawyer, who headed into the six-yard area. Watson made a point blank save, but Will Aimson was there to poke home the rebound.
On the 25-minute mark, Levi Sutton found Colclough with a defence-splitting through ball, but the linesman’s flag was raised, with the winger was adjudged to be in an offside position.
The Iron continued to apply the pressure, as Sutton picked up a loose ball inside the Plymouth half and found Kevin van Veen who drove at the heart of the defence, before checking onto his right, and curling an effort inches past the right post.
On the half-hour mark, the home side worked the ball well down the left wing through Joel Grant, and the forward found Mayor ghosting into the box, but the number ten couldn’t find the target with his strike.
Soon after, Colclough earned his side a corner after some good individual work, and after the aforementioned player took it from the left, Rory McArdle tried to attack the ball, but appeared to be bundled over inside the box. However, referee Andy Woolmer deemed it not to be a penalty.
The Iron were the next to have another big opportunity to re-gain the lead. After neat play from Lee Novak to find van Veen, the latter drove past his man before seeing his strike saved brilliantly from close range, by home ‘keeper Palmer.
Approaching the half time whistle, the home side had a case for handball on Yann Songo’o, but once again, Andy Woolmer turned down the claims. Almost instantly after, Watson pulled off an excellent save to ensure the Iron went in level, after the ball was cut back to Ryan Watson on the penalty spot.
After a half-time substitution each for both sides, the second half started in end-to-end fashion - despite there being few chances - as both sides looked to grab that elusive second goal.
It was the Iron who had the first sighting of goal though, courtesy of Brown after a marauding run into the Pilgrims box, although, his lifted effort flew narrowly over the crossbar.
In the 55th minute, the Iron saw a great chance go begging. After a lovely move involving a Gilliead and Ntlhe one-two down the right wing, Novak slipped in van Veen, who after a one-on-one, lifted the ball over ‘keeper Palmer, but the ball bounced agonizingly past the bottom corner and out of play.
The Iron continued to take control of the second half, and Ryan Colclough turned his man in the 61st minute, before checking onto his left and seeing his shot deflected into the side-netting. The resulting corner was subsequently cleared by the home side.
Up the other end, it was another outstanding Watson save that kept the scores level, denying Callum McFadzean at the back post, who was bearing down on the Iron goal.
In the 76th minute, the home side took the lead for the first time, somewhat against the run of play. After a deep ball to the back post by McFadzean, the ball was headed back across goal for Aimson to grab his second of the game.
With 80 minutes on the clock, the Iron found themselves pushing for an equaliser. Gilliead picked the ball up out wide on the line, before making it to the by-line for a cross to the back post, but no Iron player was there to finish.
Shortly after, Colclough had a corner from the right, which was aimed at Kgosi Ntlhe at the back post. The full-back duly headed back towards Yann Songo’o, but the midfielder couldn’t quite get a shot off after a tangle of legs.
As the game looked to be coming to a close, Abo Eisa scored a late, stoppage time equaliser to ensure the Iron went home with at least a point. The 87th minute substitute lifted the ball over Palmer following a flick-on from Jamie Proctor.
PLYMOUTH: Palmer, Sawyer, Aimson, Wootton, Sarcevic, Edwards (Riley 45’), Taylor (Rudden 67’), Mayor (Josh Grant 77’), Conor Grant, Joel Grant, McFadzean.
PLYMOUTH UNUSED SUBS: Cooper, Canavan, Lolos, Randell.
IRON: Watson, Songo’o, Colclough (Eisa 87’), van Veen (Proctor 77’), Perch (Ntlhe 45’), Novak, Gilliead, Sutton, McArdle, McGahey, Brown.
IRON UNUSED SUBS: Dales, Eastwood, Slater, Bedeau.
ATTENDANCE: 8,880 (110).