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Cardiff have undoubtedly suffered some poor referees and decisions in the past fortnight and it happened again as Clive Wilkes, a Premier League referee, somehow conspired as Plymouth equalised 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the 3 minutes of added time. There was no justification for the extra 2 minutes, Wilkes undoubtedly made a mistake and allowed the game go on for too long but, of course, he'll never admit or explain why he allowed it to happen.
It was a sting in the tail which will detract from a fantastic night for Cardiff City and the fans but hopefully not too much. As disappointing as it was, we would all have been happy with a draw from Plymouth before kick-off and Cardiff City currently stand proudly at the top of Division Two for the first time in almost 20 years. That deserves recognition and congratulations.
Home Park has changed since City last visit less than 2 years ago, only the main, ancient looking main stand remained. The rest of the ground, three sided, were a bowl shaped stand. Structurally from the outside, it looked like a mini version of the old style Arms Park but it was modern enough inside. The away end used to be a huge, open terrace with a small shop at the back and the smelliest toilets to be found anywhere. Now it had bars, good food and great views under cover.
City took 800 fans although a few more turned up ticketless and it looked they were being kept outside. It was a cracking match as City were the better footballing side, by some distance, but Plymouth fought harder and gave Cardiff more problems than just about any other team we have played this season.
The atmosphere was at boiling point at kick-off but erupted as City, again fielding an unchanged team, took the lead after just 1 minute. A Plymouth defender mis-headed a ball in the direction of Peter Thorne who flicked the ball wide in the area to EARNIE and his touch was magic as he guided the ball over Plymouth's French keeper, Larrieu, and the back of the net.
City fans were singing WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, partying and in great mood but it was our turn to be shaken as Plymouth fought back, one shot went narrowly wide before, on 8 minutes, the home side equalised.
Danny Gabbidon struggled all half against Plymouth's Micky Evans, a typical lower division big build of a striker in the Kevin Nugent mould. Gabbidon looked far too casual at times but, surprisingly, was also being out-muscled at times by Evans too. I thought Prior and himself should have swapped over but Gabbi will learn from this.
As Evans surged forward, Gabbidon brought him down 35 yards from goal. There was nothing on even if Plymouth's free kick taker, Paul Wotton, is a centre half with a scoring and set piece reputation. He hit a decent shot and Neil Alexander had players in front of him but our keeper was at fault as he didn't get down quickly enough to a ball that was closer to the centre of goal rather than inside a post. WOTTON equalised with a 35 yard free-kick for his 5th of the season and it was the home side's fans who were singing loud.
The rest of the first half was a cracking spectacle as the game swung from end to end with chances for both teams. Graham Kavanagh yet again working so much harder for the team and the cause shot narrowly wide when he seemed set to score, Plymouth matched it as Evans got inside Gabbidon to power a header a fraction wide.
Alexander redeemed himself by making two great saves, one of them world class, as he stopped another free-kick but brilliantly stopped a point blank Evans header from 8 yards (Gabbidon was beaten again). On 40 minutes, Plymouth were so close to taking the lead again as a Stonebridge shot from 15 yards across goal, bounced away off the outside of the far post with Alexander beaten.
But City countered all of that and the home side will be indebted to their French keeper, who was huge and seemed to bounce around his goalmouth like a kangaroo, as he stopped Earnie, Kav and made a brilliant stop from Gareth Whalley who blasted from close range.
It was great entertainment for the neutral but I can't imagine there was anybody at the game who was a neutral!
Half-time: PLYMOUTH 1 CITY 1
The second half matched the opening period for end to end action but the chances were fewer and the intensity calmed a little. Part of the reason for this was that City settled down and started putting their passing game together. They were content to soak up Plymouth and then hit them by passing moves on the break and it looked effective.
Once Cardiff settled, they were the more complete side. Better passing and movement but Plymouth were always a threat too. Kav brought an early save from Larrieu, put another one wide, Croft couldn't quite repeat his outstanding goal at Notts County as his shot sailed 25 yards over the bar to the back of the City stand.
Plymouth put a couple of shots wide and Evans brought another save out of Alexander before Larrieu made another stunning save, leaping at the very last moment to divert a Spencer Prior blast over the bar which looked in all the way. Larrieu is a fantastic keeper, a lesser goalie and I suspect we would have won comfortably.
Then, on 67 minutes, came a magic moment. City were exerting more pressure and won a couple of corners but from a flowing move, the ball found its way to Andy Legg on the left wing. He swung a cross just inside the area and, from nowhere, EARNIE, the shortest player on the pitch stole in and powered a superb downwards header past Larrieu into the opposite corner of goal. It was a 'better than sex' moment as the goal was scored in front of us and was a s good a headed goal as you could ever wish to see.
It's amazing how many headed goals Earnie does score for City. Anybody know what the goal celebration is about? A few players ran to Earnie and swung their arms, as they did when Earnie scored against Stockport last week. Five games back for Earnie and 7 goals scored, 4 in the league. Why was he ever left out??
At 2-1, Plymouth looked gone as City took control. With the fans singing their hearts out off the pitch and the team dominating on it, it was wonderful stuff and the atmosphere was exceptional. But as brilliantly as City have performed this last fortnight, a justifiable criticism is that they are failing to kill off games. Tonight, it cost them.
Crosses came in but were cleared, a couple of efforts wide, one shot blocked and Plymouth now troubling City at all when the big chance fell to Earnie, now on a hat-trick, who broke clear on goal but missed when the game should have been put beyond doubt.
Plymouth, the club where Lennie Lawrence started his managerial career, 25 years ago threw their subs on whilst Lennie did his usual trick of replacing Earnie for Campbell for fresh legs and Leggy for Barker to give City 5 men in defence to close the game.
With 90 minutes up, City shot just wide and wasted a corner, Plymouth had their last throw of the dice. Alexander saved then 3 minutes of added time were displayed. Those three minutes passed without any incident and no stoppage but the game went on and Plymouth won a corner. It flew to the far post and Prior headed behind for another with 4 minutes elapsed. Wilkes allowed it to be taken, City failed to clear, there was a far post battle on the floor before the ball fell to COUGHLAN who blasted high into City's net.
City, fans and players, were gutted. The referee let us down without any doubt but City also had themselves to blame for not killing the game when on top, settling for the result and then failing to clear that corner despite chances. The sickening feeling increased as City kicked-off and Wilkes blew the final whistle the very instant that happened. We only learned from others after the match that Lawrence was sent off at the end, I can only imagine he was protesting over the timing.
The fans applauded, sang WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE but not as loudly as we were at 2-1 but the realisation should be that City are flying, we look invincible and too powerful and strong for other teams including Plymouth on their home ground. If we come through Crewe at home then Wigan away in the next fortnight still unbeaten and top of the league, it will be looking very good.
Congratulations to Lennie and the lads for getting us to this position, we deserve to be there and the team also deserve a bumper home crowd behind them this weekend. If you haven't got a ticket, get one now!
Another song to sing today (courtesy of Eric The Red and sung to The Carpenters, Top of the World)
We're on The Top of the League
Looking down on the Jacks
And the only explanation I can find
Is that we are The Blues
And we never, ever lose
And that's why we're on the top of the league
Report from FootyMad.
Plymouth limited Cardiff's lead at the top of the Second Division to just one point when Graham Coughlan equalised with the very last kick of the game.
Confident City had looked to be cruising to a deserved victory with two goals from Robert Earnshaw, in the second and 67th minutes, either side of Paul Wotton's eighth minute free-kick.
But City, who nevertheless extended their unbeaten away run to 12 games, were stunned by Plymouth's never say die attitude which resulted in two late corners, and a goal which manager Lennie Lawrence was sent off for disputing.
Neither side showed any change from the line-ups that suffered contrasting fortunes on Saturday. Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock gave a vote of confidence to the players who lost 1-0 at home to Chesterfield while Lawrence sent out the same starting eleven for the fourth game in a row.
Cardiff got off to the perfect start when Earnshaw took advantage of home captain Wotton's miscued header to put the visitors in front after only 84 seconds.
Wotton made amends for his error six minutes later, after Danny Gabbidon fouled Micky Evans 35 yards from goal. The Plymouth skipper stepped up to drill home his fifth of the season past goalkeeper Neil Alexander.
If Alexander looked at fault for the goal, he redeemed himself with two world-class saves later, keeping out Hasney Aljofree's free-kick and then clawing away a goalbound header from Evans.
Ian Stonebridge hit the post for the home side and Coughlan blocked a drive from Cardiff's Gareth Whalley as the all action game swung from end to end.
Cardiff, however, gradaully assumed control of the second half wore on and it was not surprise when Earnshaw doubled his own tally heading home Andy Legg's cross
External reports
BBC Wales (inc audio)
The Western Mail
The Western Morning News