Home Park: Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Stockport County

Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Stockport County

This was a stadium I (Adrian) had been wanting to return to for a few years. My only other visit was in March 1989. Main problem visiting the ocean city is the sheer distance involved, so I combined it with work as well. Working in Worcester during Friday, I travelled down the M5 to the Somerset market town of Wellington for an overnight stay. A pub called the Green Dragon on South Street. Leaving after breakfast, I first headed to Exeter to take another look at St James Park. All closed up as expected but took some outside photos. From then it was on the A38 through Devon to the port city of Plymouth. My first stop being Southern League, Plymouth Parkway. Very impressive non-league set up. Hidden away on a housing estate and near a leisure centre. It was then onto Home Park which is also situated on the north side of the city. I knew the ground had been re-built since my last visit but the entire area completely different from 36 years ago! Outside Home Park is a large P&R car park called Milehouse. Then a huge building called Plymouth Life Centre. It’s a multi sports facility with the accent on water sports as you would expect in a city on the water. All this together makes for a congested area with so much going on. Home Park is part of the vast green space north of the city centre called Central Park. Besides the aforementioned activities there is also within the park a bowls club, a childrens activity park, foot golf and today the fair has arrived in town to attract even more people to the area. The park does offer a decent view of the City itself and on a pleasant day it’s a very nice walk from the city to the ground. I parked my car on an estate off the A386, which is the main road out to the A38. Good job I arrived early there wasn’t much available space. The ground itself has been completely modernised since my last visit. Three sides curve around under one continuous roof of single tier green seats. On the opposite side is the Mayflower Grandstand. This original grandstand has new steel frame work and new roof and where there was originally terracing on the lower tier it is now all seating. All the hospitality goes on here, this so important in modern day football. The dressing room areas are in a box shaped building to the side and the players enter the pitch from the corner. It also doubles up as another exclusive hospitality area. For the visiting players though it’s a bit of a walk from their luxury coach. When the Stockport coach arrived it parked outside the stand behind the goal near the P & R the players then troop off the coach walk through a wide entrance within the stand and walk around the side of the pitch to the dressing room area. When you travel a long way, you ideally would like decent weather and a good game. I got both and really enjoyed my trip. Goals changed games and the day belonged to Arygle who have started the season poorly after relegation last season. Stockport looked the more cohesive for the first 20 minutes without really testing the Plymouth keeper but it was the home side that took the lead in bizarre fashion in 24 minutes. A corner seemed to confuse County’s defenders and Kyle Wootten inadvertently managed to fall over while at the same time diverting the ball past Addai off the back of his head. 1-0. The Home Park atmosphere was cranked up and was in full voice on 39 minutes when Caleb Watts the former Exeter player unleashed a swerving right foot shot from the left of the penalty area which nestled in the top corner giving the Stockport keeper no chance. 2-0. The home side had taken control but controversy in first half stoppage time when the referee gave County a penalty, I believe the referee felt Lowe had been pushed by Wiredu but I’m not convinced and nor were the Argyle fans. Former Sheffield United midfielder, Ollie Norwood, scoring sending the keeper the wrong way. 2-1. As we entered the second half Stockport are clearly back in the game but just 3 minutes in they have the stuffing knocked out of them as they concede a third. Bradley Ibrahim, Cheshire born and a new signing from Hertha Berlin fires a low shot from outside the box which the Stockport keeper failed to react to, maybe he was unsighted. 3-1. The game was really open and both sides had chances and you sensed more goals were to come. On 75 minutes, route one, Pep wouldn’t be happy. Arygle keeper, Luca Ashby Hammond, delivers a thunderous goal kick forward, it’s brilliantly controlled by Lorient Tolaj who turns quickly curling a left foot shot past Addai. 4-1. It really was game over but Stockport kept plugging away. Norwood had a shot blocked, Wootton had a header that cannoned off a post before his luck improved 5 minutes into stoppage time. One of the subs Fiorini slipped the ball through to him and he guided the ball past the Argyle keeper. 4-2. Plymouth thoroughly deserved the win and this will surely give all at Argyle the confidence maybe they needed. Stockport conceded goals at just the wrong time but contributed to an entertaining encounter they were second best on the day but they will play worse and win. FT 4-2.

Plymouth Argyle 0-1 Swansea City

Home Park is home of Plymouth Argyle (The Pilgrims). Staying down in Plymouth for Family Reason, I (Ross) took the chance to go and see Plymouth Argyle play Swansea City at a 5:20pm kick off in front of Live Sky Sports cameras. Three of the four stands have been re-developed, the Barn Park end (Houses mostly Away supporters), the Lyndhurst stand where I sat and the Devonport End. The Grandstand which is the oldest part of the ground which dates back to the late 1940's is now all seater which used to be terraced on the lower tier. FACT - Home Park is the most westerly and southerly League Ground in England. As I found my seat, I spoke to this nice couple about the subject Leicester City and then Ian Holloway. The game saw Plymouth lose 1-0 by a Jason Scotland goal . The traditional turnstiles to the Grandstand are worth seeing.

Home Park

Monday, 22 December 2025

Plymouth Argyle 4-2 Stockport County

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