Plymouth Ease Through In FA Cup Opener
Plymouth Argyle started life under new manager Ian Foster with a comfortable victory against Sutton United in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Argyle had appointed Foster – who led the England U19 team to the 2022 European Championship – as replacement for the departed Stephen Schumacher, bringing the 47-year-old back to the UK from Saudia Arabia where he had been working as assistant to Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.
With Sutton sitting bottom of League 2 and without a manager of their own, Argyle went into the game as hot favourites despite the loss of Finn Azaz, who had been recalled from his loan spell by Aston Villa in order to complete a move to fellow Vertu Motors-backed side Middlesbrough.
Having made no fewer than six changes for the game and took the lead when Luke Cundle was able to beat goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis after he blocked a shot from Callum Wright.
Cundle – playing his final game for the club before returning to parent side Wolves - had chances to double Argyle’s lead, as did talisman Morgan Whittaker before the visitors grabbed a shock equaliser shortly after the break, with Lee Angol driving home beyond Conor Hazard.
Argyle went back in front when Whittaker was chopped down in the box and Hardie converted the spot kick, and it was Whittaker himself – having spurned chances earlier in the game – who was able to wrap things up late on when he cut in from the right wing and smashed home the third.
Next up for Plymouth is a long trip to Yorkshire for an away tie with Huddersfield Town in the EFL Championship.