Exeter City 1 Argyle 3: Match report

REUBEN Reid made history by becoming the first Plymouth Argyle player to score a hat-trick at St James Park as Argyle achieved a memorable Devon Expressway Derby win.

Only two previous Pilgrims – Jack Fowler and Ray Bowden – had previously rung in a triple in matches between the two sides, both at Home Park. The magnitude of the defeat can be measured by the fact that the most recent – Bowden’s – was 84 years ago. Reid's threesome was also a first league hat-trick by any Pilgrim since 2006.

His first two goals came before and after Aaron Davies had netted for Exeter, who were outplayed for all but small parts of the game, right on the stroke of half-time. Reid’s opener, after 27 minutes, was followed by a 54th-minute penalty.

His all-important third came after the Pilgrims had been reduced to ten men following the unlucky dismissal of Olly Lee and is destined to be one of the most celebrated goals in the long history of the club.

As importantly, it kept Argyle’s Sky Bet League 2 promotion push going, giving them a fourth successive victory.

Greens’ manager John Sheridan had probably dwelled over his team selection for no longer that it takes to say ‘same again’ as the Pilgrims paraded an identical starting line-up for the third game in succession.

With successive 2-0 wins at Wycombe and against Cambridge at Home Park, and a more or less fully fit squad from which to select, the surprise would have been had he decided to tinker with a settled and confident 11.

Thus, Lee began the last game of his loan spell from Birmingham City in central midfield, alongside Devon Expressway Derby debutant Bobby Reid and just ahead of the inestimable Anthony O’Connor whose return to colours has, as much as anything, reignited the Pilgrims’ play-off ambitions.

Exeter elected to oppose this with a modified 4-3-3 in which the recalled Scott Bennett was handed a key forward role behind Tom Nichols and the veteran Clinton Morrison.

A lively opening saw Argyle fashion the game’s first clear opening after Carl McHugh struck a ball from the middle of the three-man back line to Drew Talbot.

The right wing-back made great strides up his flank before unleashing the ball across the face of custodian Christy Pym’s goal. The delivery was just too far in front of Reuben Reid, whose attempt to reach the ball possibly distracted Lewi Alessandra enough for his team-mate to be able to capitalise on the opportunity.

The opening quarter was all Argyle’s. Exeter saw little of the ball as the Pilgrims stroked the ball around confidently in their own time. On the rare occasion the home side did have possession, their sole tactic appeared to be to attempt to prey on young left wing-back Tareiq Holmes-Denis with diagonal balls over aimed over his head.

The men in yellow probed with patience and, following one of several corners, Reuben Reid saw a goalbound shot bounce back out of the crowd, off Craig Woodman.

The breakthrough was not long in coming and, given all the precision of the Pilgrims’ play up until then, there was a degree of irony that it was fashioned from a mishit.

A looped City clearance was seized upon by Bobby Reid just outside the edge of the Grecians’ penalty area but the midfielder shinned his shot. Fortuitously, the scuffed attempt became a perfect pass for the other Reid, who kept cool and slotted the ball past Pym.

Argyle showed no inclination to do anything other than continue to take the game to their hosts and Alessandra nearly surprised Pym with a scorching rising shot from long range that swayed like a Union Street reveller before producing an edgy one-handed save.

His counterpart at the other end was having one of those afternoons when keeping concentration was more important than keeping goal. Luke McCormick was given a rude awakening, however, when Nichols took him out of the air as he went to collect a cross, illegally and unpunished, the challenge leaving McCormick with a head wound that required bandaging.