Plymouth Argyle vs Rotherham United. Sky Bet Championship.
Home ParkAttendance16,025.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Plymouth Argyle and Rotherham United at Home Park on Saturday | Morgan Whittaker scores stoppage-time winner in five-goal thriller.
Monday 18 December 2023 09:59, UK
Morgan Whittaker scored a dramatic late winner as Plymouth snatched a 3-2 result over 10-man Rotherham at Home Park in the Sky Bet Championship.
The playmaker struck six minutes into stoppage time to cause misery for the visitors, who saw defender Daniel Ayala sent off for a second bookable offence in the 55th minute.
Rotherham had taken the lead through Jamie Lindsay but Argyle turned things around with two goals from Finn Azaz, the first from the penalty spot, either side of half-time.
Despite Ayala's dismissal, the Millers still managed to level through substitute Tom Eaves but Whittaker's last-gasp strike ensured the points stayed in Plymouth.
It was no more than the home side deserved after twice hitting the post in the first half and putting Rotherham under the cosh for long spells, although it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 16 minutes following a defensive mix-up in the Argyle penalty area.
The ball fell to striker Sam Nombe, who teed up Lindsay to fire home from just inside the box.
In the 25th minute Ayala was cautioned for a foul on Azaz, resulting in a 20-yard free-kick. However, Whittaker's superb curling strike around the wall clipped the outside of the post.
Rotherham could have increased their lead minutes later on the counter-attack, but Jordan Hugill headed high and wide from Dexter Lembikisa's pinpoint cross from the right.
Injuries to Plymouth strikers Ryan Hardie and his replacement, substitute Mustapha Bundu, then caused a lengthy delay which resulted in 16 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
It was during this that Argyle were gifted an equaliser, winning a penalty after a foul on Lewis Gibson by Nombe. Azaz sent United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson the wrong way from the spot.
Azaz, who also saw another effort ping back off the post with the last action of the first half, then put the hosts in front for the first time in the 52nd minute.
Whittaker sent over a pacy cross from the right and Azaz tucked the ball away with a neat side-foot finish at the far post.
Things went from bad to worse for Rotherham just three minutes later when Ayala received a red card for handball, but Argyle failed to make the most of their one-man advantage and the Millers restored parity through Eaves in the 77th minute.
Christ Tiehi's cross from the left to the far post was headed back across the six-yard box by Sean Morrison to fellow substitute Eaves for a simple tap-in.
Two minutes later Johansson made a brilliant stop with his legs to deny Bali Mumba as the wing-back was put in on goal by Azaz.
But Argyle had the final say when Azaz flicked the ball into Whittaker's path and he made no mistake, hammering in six minutes into time added on.
Plymouth's Steven Schumacher:
"The thing with our lads is because they are young and inexperienced at this level they make mistakes at times, which we can forgive, but what we can never doubt is they never give up and keep going right until the very end.
"I wish it wasn't as eventful, but to play nearly an hour in the first half and decisions that were made, to score a penalty and all that, it was quite a draining afternoon.
"There was a lot going on but, at the end of the day, today's result was the most important thing.
"We played so well and worked so hard on Wednesday night (to draw 0-0 at QPR) and we wanted to back that up with three points.
"We made hard work of it really, especially when we went 2-1 up and then they had 10 men. It should have been more comfortable than it was.
"Credit to Rotherham I thought they were brilliant, really well organised and really hard working and a massive threat when they were throwing balls into the box.
"It was tough game and a tougher game than it should have been."
Rotherham's Leam Richardson:
"I have been here for a matter of days and you are always looking for signs of encouragement. We put a lot into that game and we should have got more out of it.
"You can only ask for a minimum requirement from your team and that is hard work, desire, application and we had a lot of that today.
"It was a very competitive game. It went the way we thought it would go and we were comfortable within that.
"It is a tough one to take but we stuck at it and we gave a really good account of ourselves coming to a team who are very good on their home pitch.
"While it was 11 against 11, we were comfortable in the game, growing into the game, and deserved to lead."
