Pitiful performance sees Plymouth plunder points at Hillsborough

Last updated : 28 October 2008 By C. Morris

Plymouth Argyle completed an early season double over Sheffield Wednesday as the home side sank to their third defeat in a row and their first on home soil.

A poachers goal midway through the first half from ex-Owl Steven MacLean was enough to settle a contest that rarely warmed the chills felt by a sparse crowd at Hillsborough.

Although it was only a small section of the crowd, it was disappointing to hear some of the home fans booing MacLean during the early stages of the game.

The Scot, who was a key player in the Owls 2004/05 promotion winning team was the most prolific out and out striker that Wednesday have had in the best part of a decade and it was perhaps fitting that he silenced these narrow minded fans with the only goal of the game.

MacLean did not celebrate his goal in front of the Kop with any exuberance and the fact is he never orchestrated a move away from Hillsborough. The striker declined to sign a new contract with the club in 2007 as the terms were conditional in relation to his fitness. It is no small irony (though excuse me for not seeing the funny side) that Macca was replaced at Hillsborough by the relatively costly signing of the injury prone Francis Jeffers and the largely ineffective Leon Clarke.

Romain Larrieu in the Argyle goal was rarely fully extended throughout the match and the result sees Wednesday slide to 15th in the Championship table.

Once again Tommy Spurr and Steve Watson produced creditable performances but few if any of the others can say they really did themselves justice and few would bet on the Owls turning around this poor run of form at Crystal Palace on Saturday.