Plymouth grab late winner as Cobblers slump to fourth straight defeat

Kell Watts scored an 86th minute winner as Cobblers suffered their fourth successive league defeat in crushing fashion at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Town were much improved at Home Park and finally ended their goal drought thanks to Ricky Korboa's second-half strike, but more problems at the back once again proved their undoing.

The first came late in the first-half as a solid opening 41 minutes from Town went to waste when Frank Nouble had all the space in the world to nod in from six yards.

Korboa's second league goal of the season was well taken and it was reward for a better attacking display by the Cobblers, however Watts ghosted in at the back post four minutes from time to bag the winning goal and send Town into the relegation zone.

Keith Curle picked an unusual team insomuch that there was no real aerial presence at the top end of the pitch. Instead, he went with the legs and energy of Shaun McWilliams and Ricky Korboa, while Joe Martin returned from suspension to replace the injured Joseph Mills.

Korboa partnered Danny Rose up front and McWilliams started at wing-back and Cobblers would have been happy enough with their solid if unspectacular start at Home Park.

The visitors restricted Plymouth to very little in front of goal and created a few half chances themselves as Rose scuffed a shot off balance and Sam Hoskins threatened with a couple of free-kicks.

Argyle gradually upped the pressure, though, and the best chance of the half up to that point fell to Will Aimson when his close-range shot was brilliantly blocked by Rose before Danny Mayor cracked just wide from long-range.

Plymouth were hardly peppering Town's goal but they got their noses in front shortly before half-time when Nouble was inexplicably left unmarked at the back post to head Conor Grant's cross past a previously untroubled Steve Arnold.

Arnold was quicker at getting across to tip over George Cooper's excellent free-kick and then Aimson headed into the side-netting as Plymouth looked to kill off the contest in the early stages of the second-half.

Cobblers' goal drought was approaching 400 minutes when they had a great chance to end it, Korboa darting into the box and crossing for Michael Harriman whose volley was expertly tipped over by Michael Cooper.

That seemed to jolt Town into life and suddenly they were alive with energy and purpose and soon drew level. The Hoskins-Korboa link had looked the most likely to make something happened and they combined superbly just past the hour mark.

Hoskins drove over halfway and deep into Plymouth territory before sliding in Korboa and he got into the box, sifted the ball onto his left foot and showed composure to find the bottom corner.

Harriman shot into the side-netting as Town went close to completing the turnaround, although Plymouth reasserted themselves with Nouble flicking a couple of headers just over the crossbar.

Cian Bolger's header was straight at Cooper in a rare chance for Cobblers, but it was Argyle doing all the pressing and they would grab the winning goal. Arnold came to punch one of their many corners but failed to make contact and Watts was left with an empty net to volley into.

That barely gave the visitors any time to respond and indeed it proved the telling act of another disappointing afternoon.

Plymouth: M Cooper, Watts, Aimson, Canavan (c), Nouble, Moore, Grant (Reeves 45), Fornah, G Cooper (Opoku 87), Mayor, Jephcott (Abraham 80)

Subs not used: Ruddy, Wootton, Edwards, Telford

Cobblers: Arnold, Harriman, Bolger (c), Horsfall, Martin, McWilliams (Racic 65), Watson, Sowerby, Korboa (Chukwuemeka 78), Hoskins, Rose (Ashley-Seal 72)

Subs not used: Mitchell, Marshall, Adams, Smith

Referee: Craig Hicks