This was very much an opportunist weekend away for me, writes Mike Wallis. I walked a couple more legs of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall and then hopped back over the Tamar and made my first visit to Home Park since a 1-1 draw between Plymouth and Watford in 2008.
Plymouth have provided our tickets today, in return for Lewes not charging the handful of Plymouth fans who made one of the two trips they’ve had the other way. Whilst this was a great gesture in principle, my instruction to pick up the tickets from reception is scuppered by it being inside the ground and requiring a ticket to access! The box office outside don’t have us on the list, but a kind steward takes pity on us and lets all three of us in.
It’s not a classic, for sure. Plymouth are obviously the better team from the off, needing the points to keep up with Watford and Bournemouth in the three-horse race for the title.
Side note: Olivia Carpenter’s Watford beat Billericay 14 (Fourteen) – 0 today. Good for their goal difference, but not really good for anything else?
It’s misty, but not Ramsgate levels of fog. Their pre-match song is annoying, but not as annoying as Whitehawk’s. The first half drags on, but only five minutes are added on when it felt like the ball had only been in play for 10 of the 45.
Long story short: Plymouth win this pretty comfortably. First Lewes make a right mess of a clearance, Moore clawed the ball back in when it was probably going out and Tamara Wilcock hooked the ball over the retreating defence for 1-0. Former Rook and today’s programme cover subject Layla Proctor headed one in late on for 2-0. Plymouth hit the bar midway through the second half too.
Lewes had a few chances but never looked like scoring. Lane and Ferguson both forced relatively comfortable saves from the Plymouth keeper but otherwise it was a pretty quiet game.
My personal highlight of the day? The fact that Plymouth substitutions were sponsored by a company that makes submarines.
Lewes: Moore (Young 33); Trewhitt (Rowe 60), Edwards, Priest, Brant; Lane, Schreimaier, Banaras, Seaby (Ginger 82); Howells, Ferguson.
Booked: Trewhitt, Schreimaier.
POTM: Lois Edwards