Plymouth Argyle surrender top spot after Huddersfield defeat
Plymouth Argyle beaten by Huddersfield Town
Plymouth Argyle lost their place at the top of League One after suffering a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to an impressive Huddersfield Town side at Home Park.
Goals from Derensili Sanches Fernandes and Bojan Radulovic secured all three points for the Terriers, lifting them into third place and pushing Argyle down to fourth following their second home defeat in three outings.
The visitors made a fast start, with Argyle goalkeeper Murphy Cooper producing an excellent diving save in the fourth minute to keep out Fernandes’ angled drive.
However, Cooper was beaten just two minutes later when Joe Taylor set up Fernandes, who unleashed an unstoppable strike to give Huddersfield an early advantage.
Argyle faced further pressure as Cameron Humphreys attempted an audacious chip from 20 yards. With the ball seemingly destined for the top corner, Cooper showed superb reactions to claw it away.
The Plymouth goalkeeper then produced two outstanding saves in quick succession, first denying Taylor from close range before recovering to keep out Radulovic’s follow-up effort.
Despite Cooper’s heroics, Argyle found themselves further behind ten minutes into the second half. Bali Mumba delivered an exquisite cross from the left wing, which Radulovic met with a diving header to double Huddersfield’s lead in the 55th minute.
The home side finally began to apply some sustained pressure in the closing stages. Substitute Oliver Irow forced Matty Young into a save in the 71st minute as Argyle searched for a route back into the contest.
Fellow substitute Xavier Amaechi tested Young twice within a minute, while Caleb Watts fired narrowly wide in the 86th minute.
However, the late rally proved insufficient to trouble Huddersfield’s advantage, and the visitors comfortably saw out the remainder of the match.
For Argyle, the defeat represents a setback in their promotion push, with the Pilgrims now needing a response to regain momentum after slipping from the summit of League One.