Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes were hanging by a thread as the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark at the Riverside, but presented with an opportunity to score from the penalty spot, Tommy Conway calmly slotted home a goal that keeps the Teessiders’ season alive.
Yes, Michael Carrick’s side remain three points adrift of the play-off places with three games remaining and still have plenty of work to do if they are to overhaul either Bristol City or Coventry City in the race for the top six. But at least they still have a chance. For much of what was threatening to be a hugely-frustrating afternoon on Teesside, it looked as though hope might be completely extinguished.
The award of the decisive penalty was a controversial one, with Anthony Backhouse determining that a relatively slight push to Tommy Conway’s back by Joe Edwards was sufficient to send the Boro striker sprawling and earn the Plymouth skipper a straight red card. To Conway’s huge credit, he successfully regained his composure to score from the spot.
In fairness to Boro, a much stronger penalty appeal had been turned down earlier in the second half, when Julio Pleguezuelo appeared to catch Morgan Whittaker with his trailing leg, and while the home side’s attacking lacked a cutting edge for much of the game, they continued plugging away. Ultimately, their persistence paid off.
Finn Azaz had set them on their way, opening the scoring after just 12 minutes as he lined up against his former side.
Anfernee Dijksteel sent Conway into the right-hand side of the area, and while the forward’s chipped shot struck the inside of the post, the ball rebounded kindly for Azaz, who was left with the simple task of slotting home.
That should have been the cue for Boro to take control, but within five minutes of claiming the lead, the home side were shooting themselves in the foot as they handed Plymouth an equaliser.
Jonny Howson and Aidan Morris were both to blame for the goal, with the former playing the latter into trouble with a poorly-weighted pass. Morris should still have dealt with the danger, but after failing to bring the ball under control, he compounded his initial error by under-hitting his stabbed back-pass to Mark Travers.
Mustapha Bundu seized possession, and after striding into the 18-yard box, the Plymouth striker curled a neat finish into the far corner.
Things would have got worse for the Teessiders had Travers not parried Darko Gyabi’s shot after the midfielder strode purposefully into penalty area midway through the first half, and while Boro continued to be the side seeing more of the ball, it was Plymouth’s players displaying the greater urgency and purpose, particularly when they made it into the final third.
Adam Randell fired a half-volley over the crossbar from the corner of the 18-yard box, before Boro were again grateful to Travers after their defensive positioning was found wanting when their opponents cleared the ball from their own penalty area.
Ryan Hardie was able to break forward from inside his own half, and after outpacing Howson, the Plymouth striker rolled in a low effort that Travers saved with his legs.
Boro had lost their way, but the hosts began the second half with increased intensity, and having been booed throughout by the visiting support following his acrimonious January switch from Home Park, Whittaker almost became the second former Plymouth player to score when he curled in a fine effort from the right-hand corner of the box that Conor Hazard did well to claw away.
Having started the game in the same ‘number ten’ position he filled at the Den six days earlier, Whittaker spent the second half in his preferred role on the right-hand side. He looked more dangerous as a result, particularly when teasing in crosses such as the 56th-minute delivery that led to the recalled Marcus Forss heading over.
Hardie wasted another decent chance for Plymouth shortly after, side-footing over after Gyabi had pulled the ball back from the byline, and while Carrick responded by making a substitution just after the hour mark, his alteration involved a defensive reshuffle rather than a change to his side’s attack. Dael Fry came on to replace Anfernee Dijksteel, with Howson moving across to right-back.
Kelechi Iheanacho also left the substitutes’ bench with 18 minutes remaining, playing in the pocket behind Conway, who came close to restoring Boro’s lead as he fired in a low effort that Hazard clawed around his right-hand post.
Boro thought they should have had a penalty with nine minutes remaining, but while Pleguezuelo appeared to catch Whittaker with his trailing leg, Backhouse waved away appeals for a spot-kick.
Come stoppage time, however, the referee was pointing to the spot. There was definite contact as Edwards prodded Conway in the back, although whether it was sufficient to send the striker sprawling was debatable. Backhouse gave the penalty, and Conway kept Boro’s season alive.
