Kevin Nancekivell praised ‘warrior’ Julio Pleguezuelo after his stoppage time equaliser earned Plymouth Argyle a New Year’s Day 2-2 draw against Bristol City at Home Park.
Pleguezuelo was recalled to the starting line-up because of an injury Lewis Gibson and made the most of the opportunity by getting his first goal for the club since he signed in the summer of 2023.
Argyle remain bottom of the Championship and are five points behind 21st-placed Cardiff City, who are in the last position of safety above the relegation zone, but Pleguezuelo’s equaliser was a badly needed lift for them after a difficult few days.
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Back-to-back away defeats against Coventry City (4-0) and Oxford United (2-0) led to head coach Wayne Rooney leaving the club on New Year’s Eve, with Nancekivell and injured club captain Joe Edwards placed in temporary charge of the team.
Argyle trailed at half-time to a goal from Anis Mehmeti and although Rami Al Hajj equalised soon after the break the home side were not on level terms for long as Jason Knight netted in the 56th minute. They kept their 2-1 lead until the first minute of added time when Pleguezuelo came up with a close range finish.
Nancekivell said: “I’m pleased with a point, I thought we deserved it. We started the game really well. I was delighted with the way we played in the first half.
“Second half, Bristol City probably had the better of it for two-thirds of it and we found a way to get a point, which I thought the lads deserved. I was really proud of them. They have done everything we asked and a little bit more. We will take a point and move on.”
Argyle, with only one win from their previous 13 games, played some good attacking football during the first half but did not capitalise on that and paid the price when Mehmeti scored in the 32nd minute.
Nancekivell said: “Of course it’s frustrating. I thought we created lots of chances, we had a few shots on goal, and we looked the team more likely to score, but Bristol City have got some good players.
“They caught us and we found ourselves one-nil down but the character helped us through and our home crowd was superb. It was a tough battle because they (City) are a good team but I’m really proud of what the boys have done today. We are okay.”
Al Hajj converted a cross from Morgan Whittaker to get his second goal for Argyle, with the previous one coming when he made his full debut in a 3-1 home win against Luton Town in late September.
“We keep asking out outside midfield players to make the box at the back stick and Rami has done that and shown his technique with a great finish,” said Nancekivell.
Pleguezuelo made it 2-2 after Adam Randell, the Argyle captain in the absence of Gibson, whipped in a free-kick from the right which City could not clear and the Spanish defender reacted quickly to put the ball into the net from close range.
It was the latest in a series of late goals scored by the Pilgrims at the Devonport End this season. Nancekivell said: “We expect that now a little bit don’t we, when it’s getting close to the time?
“Pleggy has done terrific to come into the team. He’s a warrior, he’s a communicator and he has deserved his goal. He has got us a point.”
Gibson watched the game from the directors’ area in the Lower Mayflower Grandstand. Nancekivell said: “Lewis has got an injury, it’s as simple as that.
“He carried it a little bit at Oxford (the 2-0 Boxing Day defeat) and it just wasn’t worth the risk of him starting and having to come off after 10 minutes, so Pleggy came into the team and he did fantastic.”
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