Plymouth Argyle vs Hull City: Tigers Earn Point in a Hard-Fought Draw at Home Park

An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.

Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.

First Half

Plymouth Argyle made a bright start to their first home Championship match with midfield ace Whittaker forcing a save from Pandur after eight minutes. That sparked a wave of home attacks with Cissoko - on loan from French club Toulouse - letting fly from 20 yards and although his shot was blocked fellow midfielder Adam Forshaw was first to respond and forced another save from Pandur. Hull countered with Marvin Mehlem forcing Argyle keeper Conor Hazard to turn the ball away with his outstretched leg from close range on 11 minutes.

Argyle continued to press with skipper Joe Edwards - who scored last season's last matchwinner which ensured Plymouth maintained their Championship status - firing wide from 20 yards in the 13th minute. City's Abdulkadir Omur's 34th-minute strike from just inside the box looked destined for goal, with Hazard wrong-footed, but for a brilliant diving block by greens central defender Brendan Galloway. Hull ended the half in the ascendancy although Omur's 43rd minute free-kick from 25 yards flew wide.

Second Half

Ryan Hardie came close to scoring for Argyle at the start of the second half with a brilliant low angled drive from the right which beat diving Pandur but flew inches past the far post in the 50th minute. Again Hull responded well with impressive livewire Liam Millar flashing a shot just over the bar on 51 minutes.

Argyle's on-loan Dutch Under-21 international Cissoko was first to react as a Morgan Whittaker's shot was blocked in the six-yard box, brilliantly smashing the ball home past a pack of players, including Tigers keeper Ivor Pandur. The lead was short-lived as Hull skipper Coyle finished off a crisp attacking move with a brilliant finish in off the post from Miller's pass across the edge of the box.

Substitute Freddie Issaka, introduced in the 64th minute, forced a superb save from Pandur after cutting inside the box from the left and aiming for the far corner with 20 minutes remaining. A minute later the goalkeeper was again called into action as Whittaker let fly with a thumping, dipping shot from 25 yards.

End Game

Try as they might Argyle - with Rooney using all five substitutes - could not find a way past a resolute Tigers defence. Whittaker had another shot blocked while Hull finished the game on the attack, having two close range shots blocked in succession by a combination of Galloway and substitute Jordan Houghton, back from injury.

Post Match Comments

Plymouth's Wayne Rooney:

"We had a real energy about us, commitment, we created some good chances. We just weren't clinical enough and that's something I will work on with the players this week. We need to be more clinical. I think if we had scored in that first 10-15 minute period it would have made it very difficult for Hull. It was night and day compared to last Sunday. I am encouraged from what I saw today. I think getting the win in midweek against Cheltenham in the cup helped. The lads have been great all week. I am slightly gutted for them really that we didn't get all three points because they put in a lot of hard work this week. Ibrahim is an exciting player. I was delighted with the work rate we put in. There have been a lot of positives this week. When you take the lead and don't win the game there's always going to be a slight disappointment. It was a great strike (for the leveller). I am hoping we get a goalkeeper in before next weekend's game and hopefully one or two others before the transfer deadline."

Hull's Tim Walter:

"We tried to create from the start but it was an open game, it was more transition - which is not what I like. We tried at half-time to make it a bit more patient, calm down and have more possession in our game, which we tried to do. But then unfortunately we conceded a goal. The reaction afterwards was brilliant. It was a perfect goal from Lewi, he drove over the whole pitch - that's what I like to see - dribbling inside, played a one-two and then the perfect finish…you can't draw it better. It was still an open game, we tried to have more possession, we were in good positions but we turned back not forward. It's just a process and we are getting better and better. It's not an easy game; everywhere you go to it's a competitive game. It's all about probabilities in the game. The goal was not from a mistake in our side. It's the same with a new philosophy I created over eight or nine years as a coach and they are not going to learn that in eight weeks. Football is about learning, conviction. I am happy to have no game this (mid)week. We can work on the pitch in the training. It's just pre-season. We can improve in every game."