The virtual washout for grassroots and semi-pro football over the weekend probably allowed many fans of the local game to take in some professional action, and there was no better place to be than Home Park.
Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher summed up the enthralling 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough when he said: “It was a brilliant game of football. Both teams played well. I thought we probably edged the first half. We were excellent. Some of our attacking play was outstanding.”
Middlesbrough arrived at Home Park just four days after another cracker in Devon, beating Exeter City 3-2 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, and their second visit produced another top game.
Boro, managed by Manchester United legend Michael Carrick, grabbed the lead when Josh Coburn stabbed home a goal at the near post midway through the first half, but that just sparked the Pilgrims into life.
A fabulous team move was finished off by Bali Mumba for the equaliser and Argyle entered the half-time interval with a 2-1 lead, thanks to a delightful curling effort into the top corner by midfielder Finn Azaz.
Middlesbrough responded with a spell of dominance after the break, winning a penalty on the hour. Coburn’s spot-kick was saved by Michael Cooper but the rebound fell kindly back to him for an easy tap-in.
The visitors then grabbed the lead with a low finish from Sam Greenwood but Argyle found another twist in this thrilling tale, earning the point with a Morgan Whittaker free-kick as Home Park became swamped by a November deluge.
The thrills and spills at Argyle were sadly not matched up the road at Exeter City, where the Grecians bowed out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 home loss to Wigan Athletic, a repeat of the league meeting between the two sides in the league.
The Grecians were excellent in the opening stages and went close to scoring through Vincent Harper and Harry Kite, but Wigan stayed firm at the back and hit City with a suckerpunch goal from Thelo Aasgaard on 58 minutes.
City continued piling forward and created more chances, but there was no breakthrough and Wigan confirmed their progress with a second from Steven Sessegnon three minutes from time.
City manager Gary Caldwell told the club website: "We changed how we played from the last time to try and get an extra man higher up the pitch," Gary said.
"But if you don't score goals you don't win and that's pretty simple. First goal was poor, second goal was a great strike but we didn't get it out to prevent it."
"The stats tell the story. You have to put the ball in net. We know what we need to do and we have to keep working hard to come back stronger in those moments.”
There was better news for under-pressure Torquay United manager Gary Johnson, as his side ended a poor run of results with a vital 1-0 win over Bath City at a sodden Plainmoor.
The only goal arrived eight minutes from time, when Shaun Donnellan struck a fantastic effort beyond the Bath ‘keeper to give his manager and supporters so much-needed relief.
Gary Johnson spoke to the club website after the game: “It was a very important win, and I was really pleased with us. It gets us back in there. Bath are a decent team, a good team and overall I think people will believe that we deserved the result.
“Everybody played their part, including the supporters, who got us going and kept us going." “They rose to the occasion, and we appreciate that.
“The pitch was magnificent, considering the amount of rain we’ve had, and at times like this, you give credit for things like that."
Torquay v Yeovil was the big game in midweek, while the Pilgrims travel to Leeds United this weekend and Exeter travel to Fleetwood Town.
