Plymouth Argyle capitulate in embarrassing Norwich City rout

Plymouth Argyle suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road after a totally inept defensive display.

Even by the low standards the Pilgrims have set on their travels in the Championship this season, which has seen them heavily beaten at Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City and Leeds United, this was an absolute shocker from Wayne Rooney’s side.

Borja Sainz, the Championship’s top scorer, netted twice for Norwich in the opening 17 minutes but despite dominating the first half the home side only took a 2-1 lead into the break after Mustapha Bundu replied for the Pilgrims with a fine 39th minute finish.

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However, the Canaries were much more clinical in the second period as they added four more goals from Shane Duffy, Saiz - to complete his hat-trick, Anis Slimane and Ante Crnac as the Pilgrims were torn apart, and far too easily.

You had to feel sorry for the 461 Argyle fans who had to witness the embarrassment and it was no wonder there were jeers and cries of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ aimed at the players after the final whistle.

The Pilgrims have now lost seven of their nine away league games this term, and drawn the other two, while conceding 23 goals and scoring just three.

Argyle were without Morgan Whittaker after he had to be substituted during the 2-2 draw with Watford at Home Park last Friday due to a toe injury.

Rooney’s starting line-up showed three changes from that game as Bundu, Victor Palsson and Callum Wright all came into the team. Lewis Gibson and Michael Obafemi dropped to the bench as Whittaker was ruled out.

With Gibson named among the substitutes, midfielder Adam Randell took over the captain’s armband, just as he had done in the Pilgrims’ previous away game, a 1-1 draw at Derby County on November 9.

Two former Norwich players were part of the Argyle squad as Bali Mumba started at left wing-back while midfielder Adam Forshaw was on the bench.

With Jordan Houghton and Ryan Hardie both absentees from the squad, added to long-term injury victims Ibrahim Cissoko, Joe Edwards and Muhamed Tijani, the substitutes included teenage trio Freddie Issaka, Caleb Roberts and 16-year-old Tegan Finn.

For the seventh time in their last eight games, Argyle conceded the opening goal and it came as early as the third minute as Sainz took his tally for the season to 12.

Crnac tried to play a through ball and it took a touch off defender Julio Pleguezuelo into the path of Sainz, who was not offside as a result even though he was behind the Pilgrims’ defence.

Sainz showed the confidence of a goalscorer in form as he calmly slotted past Dan Grimshaw, and Argyle appeals for offside went unheeded.

Norwich centre-back Duffy should have made it 2-0 in the sixth minute but somehow sent the ball over the bar from point blank range after a corner had been flicked on at the near post.

Moments later, Pleguezuelo gifted possession to Crnac inside the Pilgrims’ box and the striker set up Sainz, who lifted the ball over Grimshaw but onto the top of the net.

There was one chance for Darko Gyabi when the midfielder had a shot from the edge of the Pilgrims’ penalty area which was straight at goalkeeper Angus Gunn, but Norrwich looked like they were going to score every time they attacked as Argyle were all over the place defensively.

Crnac went close to scoring a couple of times, first with a low angled shot which rebounded off the far post and then with a header which was saved by the legs of Grimshaw after the Croatian striker had been picked out unmarked by a cross from Ben Chrisene.

It was only a matter of time before Argyle fell further behind and City had a second goal in the 17th minute when Emiliano Marcondes played the ball in behind Kornel Szucs for Sainz to race clear and calmly place his shot past Grimshaw into the net.

Marcondes had a 20-yard free-kick saved by the Argyle keeper as the Norwich onslaught continued. There was a near miss for Randell, though, in the 31st minute when his first time shot from 20 yards out flew just wide of Gunn’s left post with the aid of a slight deflection.

City had the next chance after Szucs gave the ball away and they launched a swift attack. Sainz played it inside to Marcondes and his shot hit Palsson and went past the outside of Grimshaw’s left post for a corner.

A misplaced pass from Norwich midfielder Jacob Sorensen inside his own half led to Argyle reducing the deficit in the 39th minute through a fine finish from Bundu.

Szucs intercepted the ball and played it forward to Andre Gray, who touched it across to Bundu and he fired past Gunn for just Argyle’s third away goal of the season.

Given Norwich’s first half dominance, and the many excellent scoring chances they created, they would have been very disappointed to only lead 2-1 at the break, while Argyle must have felt relieved not to be out of the game already.

The Pilgrims had the first scoring opportunity of the second period when Randell played in Wright but he miscued his shot and there was an easy save for Gunn.

Norwich then extended their lead to 3-1 in the 52nd minute when a corner from Marcondes was headed home from close range by Duffy. It was yet more extremely poor defending from Argyle.

The Pilgrims almost got a second goal with a fierce strike from Gray which was pushed over the bar by Gunn after Gyabi had won the ball high up the pitch before Rooney made a double substitution in the 62nd minute as Issaka and Obafemi were sent on for Bundu and Matty Sorinola.

It should have been 4-1 to Norwich moments later when Grimshaw passed the ball straight to Crnacx and he played it inside to Sainz who spurned the chance of completing his hat-trick by completely mis-hitting his attempt on goal.

Two more Argyle changes followed in the 70th minute as Forshaw and Rami Al Hajj were sent on for Gyabi and Wright before Sainz did get his third goal of the game.

Sainz was again given far too much time and space as he cut inside onto his right-foot in the 72nd minute and curled a shot into the far corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of Grimshaw.

Norwich piled the misery on Argyle with a fifth goal in the 80th minute as substitute Anis Slimane slotted home after a cut-back from Jack Stacey and then a couple of minutes later Crnac fired past Grimshaw after a slip by Pleguezuelo had gifted the City striker a free run forward.

It was the first time the Pilgrims had conceded six goals in a game since they were thrashed 6-0 by Charlton Athletic in a League One game at Home Park in April 2021.

ARGYLE: Dan Grimshaw; Kornel Szucs, Julio Pleguezuelo, Victor Palsson; Matty Sorinola (Michael Obafemi 62 mins), Adam Randell, Darko Gyabi (Adam Forshaw 70 mins), Bali Mumba; Mustapha Bundu (Freddie Issaka 62 mins), Callum Wright (Rami Al Hajj 70 mins); Andre Gray (Caleb Roberts 80 mins).

Substitutes (not used): Marko Marosi, Nathanael Ogbeta, Lewis Gibson, Tegan Finn.

NORWICH: Angus Gunn; Jack Stacey, Shane Duffy, Callum Doyle, Ben Chrisene (Brad Hills 83 mins); Jacob Sorensen (Anis Slimane 62 mins), Kenny McLean, Emiliano Marcondes; Amankwah Forson (Liam Gibbs 62 mins, Oscar Schwartau 71 mins)), Ante Crnac, Borja Sainz (Ashley Barnes 83 mins).

Substitutes (not used): George Long, Grant Hanley, Kaide Gordon, Onel Hernandez.

REFEREE: Sunny Singh GIll

ATTENDANCE: 25,893 (461)

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