Michael Obafemi has last laugh for Plymouth Argyle in victory over Portsmouth

Plymouth Argyle ended a run of four Championship games without a win as they beat bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth 1-0 after a late goal from Michael Obafemi.

It was especially sweet for Obafemi, who started his career at Portsmouth’s arch rivals Southampton, and was greeted with jeers from the away fans when he was sent on as a second half substitute However, Obafemi had the last laugh when he fired home in the 82nd minute to clinch a fourth home league win of the campaign for Wayne Rooney’s Pilgrims.

It was also their first clean sheet in 14 league games this season as Portsmouth failed to capitalise on some good attacking play with the lack of a cutting edge up front.

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Striker Andre Gray made his full debut for Argyle as one of five changes to the team from the 3-0 defeat at Championship high fliers Leeds United on Saturday.

It came after the 33-year-old had played as a substitute in the previous three matches, which included him scoring one of the goals in the Pilgrims’ incredible comeback to draw 3-3 at home to Preston North End on October 26.

Also coming into the side were Rami Al Hajj, Darko Gyabi - whose loan from Leeds prevented him from playing against his parent club, 18-year-old Freddie Issaka and Morgan Whittaker, the Pilgrims’ joint top scorer.

Dropping down to the substitutes’ bench were the quintet of Adam Forshaw, Ryan Hardie, Nathanael Ogbeta, Victor Palsson and Caleb Roberts.

Adam Randell was still not fit to play after Rooney had expressed a hope that he would be fit to be involved after being ruled out against Leeds by a thigh injury.

The midfielder’s continued absence meant the Pilgrims’ boss was without seven players for the visit of Portsmouth, with the others being Ibrahaim Cissoko, Joe Edwards, Brendan Galloway, Lewis Gibson, Conor Hazard and Muhamed Tijani.

Argyle, who were captained by midfielder Jordan Houghton on his 29th birthday, were saved from falling behind in the opening minute of the match by an offside flag.

Following a Portsmouth short corner the ball was cut back to Connor Ogilvie, whose low shot was kicked away by Dan Grimshaw and Regan Poole tapped in from a couple of yards out.

However, the celebrations of the visiting players - and their supporters in the Barn Park Stand - were cut short by the offside decision.

Despite that disappointment Portsmouth dominated the early stages of the game as they were far sharper than the Pilgrims, although one surging run from Issaka which led to the hosts getting a first corner of the match raised the decibel levels inside the stadium.

Issaka was also involved in Argyle’s next attack as he put in a cross after being picked out by Bali Mumba and Al Hajj sent his header wide. An offside flag was raised anyway, although TV replays showed that Issaka had actually been onside.

Grimshaw then saved a downward header from Ogilvie, although referee James Bell appeared to indicate he would have awarded Argyle a foul had the ball gone into the net for a foul by the Portsmouth defender on Houghton.

Argyle defender Kornel Szucs, called up by Hungary for their UEFA Nations League group games against Germany and Netherlands later this month, then made an important clearance facing his own goal after Josh Murphy fired in a cross from the left.

Whittaker had a left-foot shot from distance for the Pilgrims but it was not cleanly struck and was also straight at ‘keeper Nicolas Schmid, who made a comfortable first save of the match.

Gray was then yellow-carded by Bell after a foul on Ogilvie which came as the Argyle striker wrestled with Portsmouth defender Tom McIntyre to maintain possession for his side.

Portsmouth threatened again when Callum Lang put in a cross from the right which was behind Szucs but Argyle right-back Matty Sorinola appeared to get a slight touch to the ball before Josh Murphy could try to apply a finishing touch.

Sorinola slid into the near post in doing so and briefly stayed down on the ground but was soon up on his feet again, before Gyabi became the second Argyle player booked after sliding into Freddie Potts as he tried to break forward from close to his own penalty area.

There was a big let-off for the Pilgrims in the 37th minute when Portsmouth’s Matt Ritchie nipped in front of Mumba to get on the end of a cross but his header was straight at Grimshaw.

Gyabi then fired wide for Argyle from the centre of the visitors’ penalty area after the ball had been nodded down by Pleguezuelo. Portsmouth had the final scoring opportunity of the first half but Potts dragged a shot wide of the target as it remained goal-less at the break.

The Pilgrims had struggled to create much going forward during a first half in which Portsmouth had the better of the attacking play, including 21 touches of the ball inside the hosts’ penalty area, without being able to turn it into a goal.

As was the case in the first half, Portsmouth started the second period the better side as Lang chipped the ball onto the top of Argyle’s goal before Potts had a 20-yard shot straight at Grimshaw after Gyabi was slow to react to a loose ball.

Next Josh Murphy blasted the ball over Grimshaw’s crossbar from outside the box as Argyle continued to pose very little attacking threat and were sorely in need of inspiration from somewhere.

Andre Dozzell fired over the bar for the visitors before Kusini Yengi ran in behind Pleguezuelo and he sent in a cross which was just out of the reach of Murphy as he slid in at the far post.

There was some response from Argyle in the 59th minute, though, as Issaka made a good break forward and his ball into the box was laid back by Gray to Houghton, whose low shot was superbly pushed wide by Schmid.

That was by far the Pilgrims’ best scoring chance of the match up until that point. Pleguezuelo was then the latest Argyle player to be yellow-carded on the hour mark after a foul on Lang.

Argyle made their first two substitutions in the 62nd minute as Al Hajj and Issaka were replaced by Callum Wright and Mustapha Bundu respectively.

Whittaker had the ball in the net for Argyle soon afterwards when he ran clear after a pass from Bundu and slotted past Schmid but belatedly and rightly he was flagged for being offside.

Lang was booked for sliding into Grimshaw after the Argyle keeper grabbed a loose ball inside the box before a cross from Murphy was tantalisingly just too far ahead of Yengi as Portsmouth pushed for the opening goal.

The Pilgrims’ third substitution came in the 70th minute as Obafemi was sent on for Gray but still they found it hard to create any clear cut opportunities, as exemplified when Whittaker cut in from the left flank and sent an ambitious shot high over the bar.

However, out of the blue, it was the Pilgrims who broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute when Obafemi muscled Poole off the ball inside the Portsmouth penalty area and his first-time shot found the bottom corner of the net.

Palsson was used as a late defensive substitute for Argyle as he was sent on for Whittaker and the home side were able to see out four extra minutes without any alarms and clinch an important victory.

ARGYLE: Dan Grimshaw; Matty Sorinola, Kornel Szucs, Julio Pleguezuelo, Bali Mumba; Jordan Houghton, Darko Gyabi; Morgan Whittaker (Victor Palsson 90 mins), Rami Al Hajj (Callum Wright 62 mins), Freddie Issaka (Mustapha Bundu 62 mins); Andre Gray (Michael Obafemi 70 mins).

Substitutes: Marko Marosi, Nathanael Ogbeta, Ryan Hardie, Adam Forshaw, Caleb Roberts.

PORTSMOUTH: Nicolas Schmid; Jordan Williams (Terry Devlin 65 mins), Regan Poole, Tom McIntyre, Connor Ogilvie; Freddie Potts, Andre Dozzell (Christian Saydee 85 mins); Matt Ritchie (Sammy Silvera 74 mins), Callum Lang, Josh Murphy (Owen Moxon 85 mins); Kusini Yengi (Mark O’Mahony 74 mins).

Substitutes: Jordan Archer, Ryley Towler, Marlon Pack, Abdoulaye Kamara.

REFEREE: James Bell

ATTENDANCE: 16,647 (1,143)

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