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What scoring Plymouth Argyle's FA Cup winner meant to Morgan Whittaker

Morgan Whittaker celebrates after scoring for Argyle in their 1-0 Emirates FA Cup third round win against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, January 11, 2025 - Photo: Alan Stanford/PPAUK
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Morgan Whittaker described scoring Plymouth Argyle's winning goal to upset Premier League club Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup third round as 'a feeling that can't be matched'.

There were pre-match bookies' odds of 13/1 for the Pilgrims, bottom of the Championship and without an away victory all season, to cause a cup upset at the Gtech Community Stadium, with the Bees very short priced of 1/8 to come out on top.

Brentford went into the match having scored the most home goals in the Premier League this term yet the formbook was turned completely on its head. Argyle kept just their third clean sheet of 2024/25 and Whittaker drilled home their winner in the 82nd minute to send them into round four.

READ MORE: Plymouth Argyle player ratings from famous Brentford FA Cup triumph

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It was Whittaker's 33rd goal in 101 games for the Pilgrims and asked how it ranked among them he replied: "I think it has got to be up there. The message before was anything can happen in the FA Cup and why couldn't it be us to be an upset. We went into it with no fear, stuck to the game plan and luckily we got the result we wanted."

It was a strike which reminded of him of one playing on loan to Lincoln City from Swansea City in a 2-1 away League One win against Charlton Athletic in April 2022.

He said: "I scored a similar goal for Lincoln against Charlton where I went from one side of the box to other. I just kept going and going, and luckily it opened up and I thought 'Why not' and it went in."

It was Whittaker's fourth goal of the campaign and he was able to celebrate it with a kneeslide in front of the jubilant 2,400-strong travelling Green Army.

"I was close enough to the fans after going from one side to the other," he said. "Just seeing their faces, their passion and just everyone else's passion when we were celebrating, it's a feeling that can't be matched."

Brentford had just two shots on target all game, both in the first half and which forced good saves out of Conor Hazard, and their boss Thomas Frank admitted the Championship visitors had deserved their shock win.

Whittaker said: "It's just the way it goes sometimes, football is mad. No-one would have expected this. It's the FA Cup for you. It has obviously been tough season for everyone but hopefully this is sort of a turnaround point - a new manager, a new year and our first away win."

The victory over Brentford was the last in temporary charge for Kevin Nancekivell, assisted by Joe Edwards, following the appointment of 42-year-old Austrian Miron Muslic as Argyle's new coach. He watched from the stands, close to club owner and chairman Simon Hallett, and must have been impressed with what he saw from the Pilgrims.

Whittaker said: "We have set the bar high for everyone. It takes us into three home games now and hopefully we can use that to kick on."

Understandably, Argyle's players and staff celebrated on the pitch long after the final whistle, in front of the massed ranks of the Green Army, following their first away since a 1-0 defeat of Rotherham United on April 5, 2024.

Whittaker said: "Everyone is buzzing, everyone is just so happy for Nance as well because we know how much this club means to him. To get a result like this in his last game where he was in charge before the new manager comes in, it was happiness for him."

The physical demands on Whittaker and his team-mates to keep Brentford at bay were high and he admitted: "Everyone will definitely be feeling it but that's what happens when you play against a high level team. Everyone wants to be in these games and puts everything into it."

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