2009–10 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season

Carl Fletcher was appointed as team captain after signing for the club.

Plymouth Argyle began their campaign at Selhurst Park on 8 August against Crystal Palace, with Carl Fletcher captaining his new side against his former club.[12] An early goal from Hungarian international centre-back Krisztián Timár put Argyle ahead but the home side responded in the second half to give both teams a share of the points.[13] Argyle faced Queens Park Rangers in their first home game of the season and an injury-time own goal from Kaspars Gorkšs salvaged a point after the visitors had taken the lead in the first-half.[14] Alan Gow's first goal for the club in their next match against Cardiff City was merely a consolation, as a hat-trick from Michael Chopra consigned Argyle to their first league defeat of the season.[15] A stoppage time goal from Derby County's Miles Addison denied Argyle their third draw of the season after they had taken a first-half lead through Alan Judge,[16] and a second 3–1 home defeat followed a week later, this time against Sheffield Wednesday.[17] A first-half goal from Jamie Mackie gave Argyle hope of their first victory of new the season at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, but the home side responded with three goals either side of half-time to claim a comfortable win.[18]

The club's poor run of form continued in their next home match against Watford, as they suffered their fifth straight defeat and slipped to the bottom of the league table.[19] Another 3–1 defeat, against Newcastle United,[20] was followed by a second successive 1–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest,[21] to leave Argyle with just two points from their first seven matches.[22] Paul Sturrock kept faith with the young defensive pairing of James Chester and Shane Lowry for their next game against Peterborough United,[23] and two second-half goals Mackie and Rory Fallon secured Argyle's first three points of the new season.[24] "It's nice to get three points, but now we have to build on it," said Sturrock. "There's no point in us getting this result and then kicking ourselves in the teeth again." Argyle earned their first home win of the season four days later against Scunthorpe United. A penalty from Judge gave the hosts a 2–1 win after Fallon's opening goal was cancelled out by Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper.[25] Their upturn in results was halted by Blackpool, who won 2–0 at Bloomfield Road.[26] The hosts opening goal was scored by Marcel Seip, a player on loan from Argyle.[27] He took part in the match following a request from former manager Ian Holloway,[28] a decision which was criticised by supporters but defended by senior Argyle officials. "I suppose it was bound to happen that Marcel would score the goal, but I don't think we should look on it as anything other than probably the cover should have been better," said executive director Keith Todd. "We understood exactly what we are doing."[29]

An Argyle Hall of Famer returned to Home Park on 18 October 2009,[30] when former England international Paul Mariner was appointed as the club's new head coach. "In football, there is not much sentiment. But, if sentiment is involved in this scenario, then they gave me my very first chance as a player so I grabbed it with both hands," said Mariner on the New England Revolution website, the club he left to rejoin Argyle. "Plymouth Argyle are in my blood. Obviously the teams you're associated with are the ones you look for every week, and when they came knocking on my door asking me to be employed there, I was delighted."[31] His first match in the dugout alongside Sturrock ended in disappointment as Argyle lost 3–1 to Bristol City at Ashton Gate.[32] They faced Ipswich Town, another side struggling for form, at home in their next match and a first-half goal from Fletcher put Argyle ahead, but their hopes of claiming three points were dented when the visitors equalised through striker Jon Stead, who capitalised on a poor back pass from Gary Sawyer.[33] Welshman Darcy Blake, on loan from Cardiff City, was shown a straight red card late in the game as it ended all square. Their final game of October took place on Halloween against Middlesbrough, in Gordon Strachan's first game as their new manager.[34] Argyle came away from the Riverside Stadium with all three points, in a game that saw Adam Johnson miss from the penalty spot, thanks to a second-half goal from Mackie to lift them to 22nd in the league table, within three points of Doncaster Rovers.[35]

Kári Árnason scored his first goal for the club against Reading in December.

The club began November in the same fashion they ended the previous month – with a win. Judge and Fallon scored again to secure a 2–1 home victory against Doncaster Rovers, and pull Argyle clear of the relegation zone.[36] They looked like earning a valuable point when they travelled to play Leicester City but were denied by a 94th-minute goal from midfielder Andy King.[37] Another home defeat, this time to Sheffield United followed,[38] which left Sturrock desperate to improve morale among his squad,[39] but a third consecutive 1–0 defeat at Swansea City, during which Lowry was sent off,[40] signalled the end of Paul Sturrock's second spell as manager.[41][42] Paul Mariner was placed in charge until further notice.[43] "It's a sad day, but obviously a happy day for me because I'm getting my chance to be a manager in the league," said the former striker. "He's a great friend of mine. The bond that we have together is quite remarkable and we have a mutual respect for each other."[44] His first match was a 2–0 defeat at Preston North End,[45] but he took positives from the performance.[46][47]

John Carver, right-hand man to former Barcelona manager Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle United,[48] arrived as the club's new assistant manager on 17 December 2009,[49] but the club suffered another 1–0 defeat at home, against Coventry City, two days later.[50] Argyle travelled to Cardiff on Boxing Day to play Cardiff City at their new stadium,[51] and came away with an important three points thanks to a late goal from Sawyer.[52] They recorded their biggest win of the season two days later against Reading.[53] A brace from Judge,[54] and first goals of the season for Kári Árnason and Ashley Barnes secured a 4–1 win at Home Park and six points from their two games over the Christmas period.[55] Argyle returned to league action after their FA Cup ties on 16 January, looking for another three points against Crystal Palace but an early goal from young striker Victor Moses won the game for the visitors.[56] Another must-win home game followed against Derby County and a fifth goal of the season from Jamie Mackie boosted their survival bid.[57] A defeat by fellow struggler's Sheffield Wednesday,[58] coupled with other results going against them, left Argyle five points from safety,[59] with a tough match to come against West Bromwich Albion a week later. A single goal from striker Simon Cox kept Albion in touch at the top of the table and left Argyle deep in relegation trouble again, six points from safety.[60]

A stoppage time penalty from Shane Long earned a crucial 2–1 win for Reading in Argyle's next match,[61] but they came from a goal behind to claim a 3–1 victory at Barnsley four days later,[62] which included a 35-yard effort from former Barnsley player Fallon.[63] Paul Mariner was full of praise for his team and singled out youngster Yannick Bolasie, who made his debut for the club. "We played with intellect. We got the ball down, rather than panicking a little bit; we stroked it around; we retained position at vital times," he said.[64] "The introduction of Bolasie was a breath of fresh air. I think even the Barnsley fans would probably say they liked to see what he was doing. He brought a lot to the table for us."[65] A double-header of home matches were next on the agenda for Argyle, against Swansea City and Leicester City, and they both ended in 1–1 draws. New signing Damien Johnson scored late on against Swansea,[66] and Craig Noone scored his first goal of the season to earn a point against Leicester.[67] An end-to-end game at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United ended in a 4–3 defeat, which included a number of defensive mistakes.[68] Argyle went 3–0 before finally sparking into life, scoring twice thanks to Bolasie and a first for young Irish striker Joe Mason. A lapse in concentration from David Stockdale, on loan from Fulham, gifted the hosts a fourth goal before a 20-yard volley from Mackie set up a frantic finale.[69] In the aftermath, Paul Mariner heaped praise on Mason, describing him as "an incredible talent."[70]

Bradley Wright-Phillips returned from injury to score three important goals.

Argyle salvaged a late point against Preston North End at the start of March, but remained in serious trouble at the bottom end of the table, seven points adrift of safety with 13 matches remaining.[71] A 2–0 defeat followed at Queens Park Rangers,[72] with Adel Taarabt playing a part in both of the home side's goals.[73] Draws at Home Park were proving to be an Achilles' heel for Argyle, but they secured a creditable 1–1 draw at play-off chasing Coventry City, having taken the lead through a glancing header from Árnason.[74] Three days later, a 20-yard strike from captain Fletcher earned Argyle their fifth home win of the season in a 3–2 thriller against Bristol City. They had taken a 2–0 lead through Chris Clark and an overhead kick from Bradley Wright-Phillips,[75] his first for the club. However, the visitors responded in the second-half with two goals from Nicky Maynard before former Welsh international Fletcher scored with seconds to spare.[76] Argyle travelled to play Scunthorpe United looking to keep up the momentum, but threw away a lead to be defeated by a deflected effort from Martyn Woolford.[77]

They were on the road again three days later when they faced Ipswich Town at Portman Road.[78] Argyle came away with all three points courtesy of goals from Wright-Phillips and Mason on what was a special night for Paul Mariner.[79] "It was pretty special and I was a little choked up," he said. "It was a special night. When I moved to the States 20 years ago, I didn't think it would come to fruition but it was a tremendous reception from the fans, and I can't thank them enough. Bringing Plymouth Argyle here in my present role was a special occasion."[80] Former manager Ian Holloway returned to Home Park for the first time since his departure in November 2007 in the club's next game, and he left happy as Blackpool side claimed all three points after a 2–0 victory, with Charlie Adam at the heart of their attacking threat.[81] Argyle played out an entertaining 0–0 draw at home with Barnsley three days later,[82] but it did little to help in their battle against relegation, still five points away from safety.[83] They produced another rousing away performance against Doncaster Rovers to earn a 2–1 win, coming from behind with second-half goals from Mason, and an injury time header from Wright-Phillips.[84] In order to stay up, Argyle knew that they had to make the most of their remaining home games, but they went down 2–0 on 5 April to an efficient Middlesbrough side,[85] which left them four points adrift with four games left.[86] A solitary goal from Watford's Heidar Helguson dealt Argyle's survival hopes an almost fatal blow at Vicarage Road,[87] but vice-captain Karl Duguid remained upbeat about their chances of defeating the league leaders in their next game. "We'll be upbeat, and we'll go for the win against Newcastle next Monday."[88]

It was a night of contrasting emotions at Home Park.[89][90] A 2–0 win for the visitors confirmed Argyle's relegation to League One and Newcastle's promotion back to the Premier League as champions at the first attempt.[91] Hours after the match, the club's board declared that it remained determined to steer it to the top flight of English football.[92] Paul Mariner reaffirmed his commitment to the club, vowing to put things right. "I feel the pain of the supporters because this is the club that gave me my first start," he said. "The reason I came here was because of the vision that the club can get into the Premiership. Now we've got another couple of hurdles before we do that but I firmly believe that we can do it."[93] Argyle's penultimate game of the season took place at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest, who had already qualified for the play-off's, and they secured a comfortable 3–0 victory against the relegated side.[94] The club signed off their campaign with another home defeat against Peterborough United on 2 May.[95] Argyle took the lead in the first-half from a fine individual goal from Wright-Phillips but conceded two goals after the break to Craig Mackail-Smith. Four days later, the club announced that they would be searching for a new manager, with Paul Mariner reverting to his original role as head coach.[96] He said: "I am disappointed that we could not produce the results we wanted last season. I am a realist and understand why and how the board came to the conclusion they have done. I am committed to this club and want only to help it regain Championship status as soon as possible and build on that."[97] Work on a new state-of-the-art Fibrelastic pitch at Home Park began the following week.[98]

Crystal Palace v Plymouth Argyle

8 August 2009 Match 1	Crystal Palace	1–1	Plymouth Argyle	Selhurst Park, London
15:00 BST	Lee  62'	Report	Timár  5'	Attendance: 14,358 Referee: Andy Penn

Plymouth Argyle v Queens Park Rangers

15 August 2009 Match 2	Plymouth Argyle	1–1	Queens Park Rangers	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 BST	Gorkšs  90+3' (o.g.)	Report	Helguson  43'	Attendance: 11,588 Referee: Roger East

Plymouth Argyle v Cardiff City

18 August 2009 Match 3	Plymouth Argyle	1–3	Cardiff City	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 BST	Gow  90' (pen.)	Report	Chopra  4', 80', 85' (pen.)	Attendance: 11,918 Referee: Russell Booth

Derby County v Plymouth Argyle

22 August 2009 Match 4	Derby County	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Pride Park Stadium, Derby
15:00 BST	Buxton  40' Addison  90'	Report	Judge  17' (pen.)	Attendance: 26,186 Referee: Craig Pawson

Plymouth Argyle v Sheffield Wednesday

29 August 2009 Match 5	Plymouth Argyle	1–3	Sheffield Wednesday	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 BST	Gow  80'	Report	Wood  33' Tudgay  72' (pen.), 90+2'	Attendance: 10,228 Referee: Andy Haines

West Bromwich Albion v Plymouth Argyle

12 September 2009 Match 6	West Bromwich Albion	3–1	Plymouth Argyle	The Hawthorns, West Bromwich
15:00 BST	Martis  34' Čech  40', 86'	Report	Mackie  12'	Attendance: 22,190 Referee: Graham Salisbury

Plymouth Argyle v Watford

15 September 2009 Match 7	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	Watford	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 BST		Report	Cleverley  4'	Attendance: 8,703 Referee: Graham Scott

Newcastle United v Plymouth Argyle

19 September 2009 Match 8	Newcastle United	3–1	Plymouth Argyle	St James' Park, Newcastle
15:00 BST	Taylor  6' Nolan  61' Carroll  84'	Report	Duguid  50'	Attendance: 42,898 Referee: Scott Mathieson

Plymouth Argyle v Nottingham Forest

27 September 2009 Match 9	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	Nottingham Forest	Home Park, Plymouth
13:15 BST		Report	Gunter  45+2'	Attendance: 14,792 Referee: Andy Woolmer

Peterborough United v Plymouth Argyle

29 September 2009 Match 10	Peterborough United	1–2	Plymouth Argyle	London Road, Peterborough
19:45 BST	Mackail-Smith  86'	Report	Mackie  63' Fallon  69'	Attendance: 7,114 Referee: Andy Hall

Plymouth Argyle v Scunthorpe United

3 October 2009 Match 11	Plymouth Argyle	2–1	Scunthorpe United	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 BST	Fallon  57' Judge  76' (pen.)	Report	Hooper  75' (pen.)	Attendance: 9,780 Referee: Andy D'Urso

Blackpool v Plymouth Argyle

17 October 2009 Match 12	Blackpool	2–0	Plymouth Argyle	Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
15:00 BST	Seip  31' Vaughan  63'	Report		Attendance: 7,765 Referee: David Webb

Bristol City v Plymouth Argyle

20 October 2009 Match 13	Bristol City	3–1	Plymouth Argyle	Ashton Gate, Bristol
19:45 BST	Haynes  72' McCombe  76' Maynard  79'	Report	Mackie  75'	Attendance: 15,021 Referee: Grant Hegley

Plymouth Argyle v Ipswich Town

24 October 2009 Match 14	Plymouth Argyle	1–1	Ipswich Town	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 BST	Fletcher  22'	Report	Stead  68'	Attendance: 10,875 Referee: Simon Hooper

Middlesbrough v Plymouth Argyle

31 October 2009 Match 15	Middlesbrough	0–1	Plymouth Argyle	Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
15:00 GMT		Report	Mackie  64'	Attendance: 21,141 Referee: Mick Russell

Plymouth Argyle v Doncaster Rovers

7 November 2009 Match 16	Plymouth Argyle	2–1	Doncaster Rovers	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT	Judge  26' Fallon  71'	Report	Shiels  29'	Attendance: 9,420 Referee: Paul Taylor

Leicester City v Plymouth Argyle

21 November 2009 Match 17	Leicester City	1–0	Plymouth Argyle	Walkers Stadium, Leicester
15:00 GMT	King  90+4'	Report		Attendance: 27,174 Referee: Danny McDermid

Plymouth Argyle v Sheffield United

5 December 2009 Match 18	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	Sheffield United	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT		Report	Harper  88'	Attendance: 9,231 Referee: Graham Horwood

Swansea City v Plymouth Argyle

8 December 2009 Match 19	Swansea City	1–0	Plymouth Argyle	Liberty Stadium, Swansea
19:45 GMT	Trundle  52'	Report		Attendance: 14,004 Referee: Steve Tanner

Preston North End v Plymouth Argyle

12 December 2009 Match 20	Preston North End	2–0	Plymouth Argyle	Deepdale, Preston
15:00 GMT	Chaplow  10' Wallace  26'	Report		Attendance: 12,231 Referee: Michael Oliver

Plymouth Argyle v Coventry City

19 December 2009 Match 21	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	Coventry City	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT		Report	Eastwood  71'	Attendance: 8,347 Referee: Keith Stroud

Cardiff City v Plymouth Argyle

26 December 2009 Match 22	Cardiff City	0–1	Plymouth Argyle	Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
13:00 GMT		Report	Sawyer  84'	Attendance: 24,010 Referee: Phil Gibbs

Plymouth Argyle v Reading

28 December 2009 Match 23	Plymouth Argyle	4–1	Reading	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT	Judge  13' (pen.), 63' Árnason  59' Barnes  84'	Report	Sigurðsson  62'	Attendance: 12,091 Referee: Simon Hooper

Plymouth Argyle v Crystal Palace

16 January 2010 Match 24	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	Crystal Palace	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT		Report	Moses  17'	Attendance: 9,318 Referee: Anthony Bates

Plymouth Argyle v Derby County

26 January 2010 Match 25	Plymouth Argyle	1–0	Derby County	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 GMT	Mackie  82'	Report		Attendance: 7,996 Referee: Andy Hall

Sheffield Wednesday v Plymouth Argyle

30 January 2010 Match 26	Sheffield Wednesday	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Hillsborough, Sheffield
15:00 GMT	Varney  24', 41'	Report	Fallon  23'	Attendance: 22,590 Referee: Kevin Wright

Plymouth Argyle v West Bromwich Albion

6 February 2010 Match 27	Plymouth Argyle	0–1	West Bromwich Albion	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT		Report	Cox  66'	Attendance: 12,053 Referee: Steve Tanner

Reading v Plymouth Argyle

9 February 2010 Match 28	Reading	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Madejski Stadium, Reading
20:00 GMT	Long  51', 90+4' (pen.)	Report	Fletcher  68'	Attendance: 15,484 Referee: Oliver Langford

Barnsley v Plymouth Argyle

13 February 2010 Match 29	Barnsley	1–3	Plymouth Argyle	Oakwell, Barnsley
15:00 GMT	Colace  45'	Report	Fletcher  64' Mackie  74' Fallon  84'	Attendance: 11,661 Referee: Karl Evans

Plymouth Argyle v Swansea City

16 February 2010 Match 30	Plymouth Argyle	1–1	Swansea City	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 GMT	D. Johnson  87'	Report	Pratley  46'	Attendance: 9,185 Referee: Keith Hill

Plymouth Argyle v Leicester City

20 February 2010 Match 31	Plymouth Argyle	1–1	Leicester City	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT	Noone  39'	Report	Árnason  32' (o.g.)	Attendance: 11,581 Referee: Roger East

Sheffield United v Plymouth Argyle

27 February 2010 Match 32	Sheffield United	4–3	Plymouth Argyle	Bramall Lane, Sheffield
15:00 GMT	Camara  7' Ward  35', 47' Cresswell  80'	Report	Bolasie  48' Mason  56' Mackie  85'	Attendance: 24,886 Referee: Chris Sarginson

Plymouth Argyle v Preston North End

6 March 2010 Match 33	Plymouth Argyle	1–1	Preston North End	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT	D. Johnson  71' (pen.)	Report	St Ledger  18'	Attendance: 9,582 Referee: Andy Woolmer

Queens Park Rangers v Plymouth Argyle

9 March 2010 Match 34	Queens Park Rangers	2–0	Plymouth Argyle	Loftus Road, London
20:00 GMT	Taarabt  36' (pen.) Stewart  49'	Report		Attendance: 12,013 Referee: Paul Tierney

Coventry City v Plymouth Argyle

13 March 2010 Match 35	Coventry City	1–1	Plymouth Argyle	Ricoh Arena, Coventry
15:00 GMT	McIndoe  49'	Report	Árnason  45+1'	Attendance: 18,127 Referee: Andy Haines

Plymouth Argyle v Bristol City

16 March 2010 Match 36	Plymouth Argyle	3–2	Bristol City	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 GMT	Clark  31' Wright-Phillips  45' Fletcher  90+1'	Report	Maynard  58', 78'	Attendance: 9,289 Referee: Trevor Kettle

Scunthorpe United v Plymouth Argyle

20 March 2010 Match 37	Scunthorpe United	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Glanford Park, Scunthorpe
15:00 GMT	Thompson  33' Woolford  65'	Report	Mackie  28'	Attendance: 5,153 Referee: Anthony Taylor

Ipswich Town v Plymouth Argyle

23 March 2010 Match 38	Ipswich Town	0–2	Plymouth Argyle	Portman Road, Ipswich
19:45 GMT		Report	Wright-Phillips  34' Mason  78'	Attendance: 19,316 Referee: Dean Whitestone

Plymouth Argyle v Blackpool

27 March 2010 Match 39	Plymouth Argyle	0–2	Blackpool	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 GMT		Report	Adam  78' Dobbie  82'	Attendance: 10,614 Referee: James Linington

Doncaster Rovers v Plymouth Argyle

3 April 2010 Match 41	Doncaster Rovers	1–2	Plymouth Argyle	Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
15:00 BST	Coppinger  58'	Report	Mason  67' Wright-Phillips  90+1'	Attendance: 10,179 Referee: Kevin Wright

Plymouth Argyle v Middlesbrough

5 April 2010 Match 42	Plymouth Argyle	0–2	Middlesbrough	Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 BST		Report	McManus  22' Franks  90+4'	Attendance: 11,770 Referee: Scott Mathieson

Watford v Plymouth Argyle

10 April 2010 Match 43	Watford	1–0	Plymouth Argyle	Vicarage Road, Watford
15:00 BST	Helguson  50'	Report		Attendance: 14,246 Referee: Warren Atkins

Plymouth Argyle v Newcastle United

19 April 2010 Match 44	Plymouth Argyle	0–2	Newcastle United	Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 BST		Report	Carroll  20' Routledge  28'	Attendance: 13,111 Referee: Craig Pawson

Nottingham Forest v Plymouth Argyle

24 April 2010 Match 45	Nottingham Forest	3–0	Plymouth Argyle	City Ground, Nottingham
15:00 BST	Earnshaw  19' N'Gala  34' (o.g.) Anderson  90+3'	Report		Attendance: 22,602 Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Plymouth Argyle v Peterborough United

2 May 2010 Match 46	Plymouth Argyle	1–2	Peterborough United	Home Park, Plymouth
13:00 BST	Wright-Phillips  31'	Report	Mackail-Smith  63', 69'	Attendance: 8,557 Referee: Steve Tanner

Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

The third round draw for the FA Cup paired Argyle with Newcastle United, which left assistant manager John Carver with mixed emotions.[99] Neither side could break the deadlock in a competitive contest at Home Park.[100] Argyle striker Rory Fallon forced a good save from Tim Krul before the visitors had chances of their own, the majority of which went to Fabrice Pancrate. Newcastle looked likely to win the game late on but were denied by goalkeeper Romain Larrieu, who tipped a looping volley from Nicky Butt over the crossbar.[101] The match saw the return of Chris Barker to the Argyle defence after a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of injury, and manager Paul Mariner was full of praise for his performance. "For him to come and do what he did against such a high powered, attacking team as Newcastle and playing 90 plus minutes was pretty remarkable. He's a very strong character and very experienced."[102] The replay at St James' Park was Argyle's next match due to the wintry weather,[103][104] and they were on the wrong end of a 3–0 scoreline. Newcastle striker Peter Løvenkrands gave the home side a two-goal lead at half-time and completed his hat-trick after 72 minutes.[105][106] "His timing of his runs is pretty special and for the first goal, his finish was fantastic," said Mariner. The match on Tyneside was to be the last in an Argyle shirt for Cillian Sheridan who returned to Celtic in Scotland the next day when his loan spell with the club finished, having made 13 appearances, scoring no goals.[107]

Newcastle United v Plymouth Argyle

13 January 2010 Third round	Newcastle United	3–0	Plymouth Argyle	St James' Park, Newcastle
19:45 GMT	Løvenkrands  10', 40', 72'	Report		Attendance: 15,805 Referee: Andy D'Urso

Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Having been drawn to face Gillingham in the first round of the League Cup, the club's manager, Paul Sturrock, planned to make a couple of changes to the team that faced Crystal Palace on the opening day of the new season, with youngster Joe Mason included in the squad.[108] Two first-half goals were enough to take the hosts into the second round. Simeon Jackson put Gillingham ahead after 42 minutes and Andy Barcham scored a second just before the half-time break. Argyle reduced the deficit four minutes into the second-half when Luke Summerfield from a direct free kick, but they couldn't find an equaliser.[109] The visitors should have forced extra time but Jamie Mackie spurned a chance when he pulled his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. The defeat extended Sturrock's unfortunate run in the League Cup as a manager, having won just once in nine attempts. "I must have the worst record of all managers in cup competitions, it's unbelievable," he said. "One or two of my defenders didn't defend properly tonight. It's not proper to name people but there were some glaring attempts to clear the ball and that's where we had problems."[110]

Gillingham v Plymouth Argyle

11 August 2009 First round	Gillingham	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Priestfield, Gillingham
19:45 BST	Jackson  41' Barcham  45'	Report	Summerfield  50'	Attendance: 3,306 Referee: Jarnail Singh

Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Pre-season for Plymouth Argyle began on 1 July 2009 when the first team squad returned to Harpers Park.[111] A week of intense training followed,[112] before the club's first match of the new season took place on 13 July 2009 against Cornish side Truro City. In a match which featured trialist Kári Árnason,[113] Argyle scored a goal in each half to earn a comfortable win.[114] A youthful Argyle team headed across the city of Plymouth the next day to take on Plymouth Parkway. The visitors fell behind to an early goal but responded with three of their own in an entertaining friendly, including a brace from Republic of Ireland youth international Joe Mason.[115] The first team were in action again the next day, against Torquay United. The visitors went behind twice but looked like leaving Plainmoor with a win until Torquay converted a penalty in the 90th minute.[116] The squad then departed for a tour of Scotland, and stopped off in the north of England on the way in order to play a friendly against Skelmersdale United on 18 July 2009.[117] Argyle came away with a 2–0 win after scoring a goal in each half.[118] A picturesque setting greeted the squad as they took to the field against Livingston on 20 July 2009. An 81st-minute penalty from Luke Summerfield wasn't enough to save Argyle from their first defeat of the season.

Hungarian international Zoltán Szélesi joined the squad in training ahead of their next match against Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni.[119] They came from behind to record a 2–1 win in a feisty encounter, with Steve MacLean scoring the decisive goal.[120] Argyle returned to England to play against Morecambe on 25 July 2009, and included a triallist called Réda Johnson in their defence, who appeared in the match under a pseudonym. Two second half goals ensured that they left Christie Park with a win.[121] The club's only pre-season friendly to take place at Home Park was against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian on 29 July 2009. Neither side could break the deadlock in a dour 0–0 draw.[122] Swindon Town were the opposition for Argyle's penultimate friendly. A goal from Marcel Seip after 57 minutes set the visitors on their way to a 2–0 victory at manager Paul Sturrock's old club.[123] Argyle's final pre-season match took place on 3 August 2009 against Tiverton Town. A young team containing only two senior professionals, Yoann Folly and Simon Walton,[124] secured a 1–0 win at Ladysmead.[125]

Truro City v Plymouth Argyle

13 July 2009 Friendly	Truro City	0–2	Plymouth Argyle	Treyew Road, Truro
19:30 BST		Report	Puncheon  25' Barnes  60'

Plymouth Parkway v Plymouth Argyle

14 July 2009 Friendly	Plymouth Parkway	1–3	Plymouth Argyle	Bolitho Park, Plymouth
19:45 BST	Sergent  2'	Report	Mason  22' (pen.), 60' Rickard  54'

Torquay United v Plymouth Argyle

15 July 2009 Friendly	Torquay United	3–3	Plymouth Argyle	Plainmoor, Torquay
19:45 BST	Sills  32' Seip  54' (o.g.) Benyon  90' (pen.)	Report	Fallon  45' Sawyer  81' Summerfield  89' (pen.)	Attendance: 2,046 Referee: Roger East

Skelmersdale United v Plymouth Argyle

18 July 2009 Friendly	Skelmersdale United	0–2	Plymouth Argyle	College Stadium, Skelmersdale
15:00 BST		Report	Fallon  18' Paterson  79'

Livingston v Plymouth Argyle

20 July 2009 Tour of Scotland	Livingston	2–1	Plymouth Argyle	Creamery Park, Bathgate
19:30 BST	Timár  25' (o.g.) McParland  49'	Report	Summerfield  81' (pen.)

Unirea Urziceni v Plymouth Argyle

22 July 2009 Tour of Scotland	Unirea Urziceni	1–2	Plymouth Argyle	Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow
19:00 BST	Rusescu  34'	Report	Fallon  64' MacLean  67'

Morecambe v Plymouth Argyle

25 July 2009 Friendly	Morecambe	0–2	Plymouth Argyle	Christie Park, Morecambe
15:00 BST		Report	Sawyer  55' Paterson  77'	Attendance: 705 Referee: Nigel Miller

Swindon Town v Plymouth Argyle

1 August 2009 Friendly	Swindon Town	0–2	Plymouth Argyle	County Ground, Swindon
15:00 BST		Report	Seip  57' Lucas  84' (o.g.)	Attendance: 2,064 Referee: John Farries

Tiverton Town v Plymouth Argyle

3 August 2009 Friendly	Tiverton Town	0–1	Plymouth Argyle	Ladysmead, Tiverton
19:45 BST		Report	Head  28'

Colours: Green = Plymouth Argyle win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Romain Larrieu[126] 2 DF Karl Duguid[127] 3 MF Jim Paterson[128] 4 MF Carl Fletcher[129] 5 DF Krisztián Timár[130] 6 MF Chris Clark[131] 7 MF Damien Johnson[132] 8 FW Jamie Mackie[133] 9 FW Steve MacLean[134] 10 FW Bradley Wright-Phillips[135] 11 DF Kári Árnason[136] 13 DF Darcy Blake[137] 14 FW Rory Fallon[138] 15 DF Chris Barker[139] 16 DF David McNamee[140] 17 MF Craig Noone[141] 18 DF Gary Sawyer[142] 19 DF Marcel Seip[143]

No. Position Player 20 MF Luke Summerfield[144] 21 FW Cillian Sheridan[145] 21 GK David Stockdale[146] 22 DF Réda Johnson[147] 23 DF Richard Eckersley[148] 24 FW Ashley Barnes[149] 25 MF Alan Judge[150] 26 FW Alan Gow[151] 29 DF Bondz N'Gala[152] 31 MF Yoann Folly[153] 32 FW Joe Mason[154] 33 FW Kenny Cooper[155] 35 DF Onismor Bhasera[156] 36 MF Yannick Bolasie[157] 37 DF Shane Lowry[158] 38 DF James Chester[159] 39 DF David Gray[160] 40 DF Ryan Leonard[161]