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Sitting astatine the bottommost of the Championship and without a triumph successful 11 matches, Plymouth Argyle would person feared the worst earlier their FA Cup travel to Brentford.
Their Premier League opponents person been incessant astatine Gtech Community Stadium, scoring 27 goals successful 10 Premier League games, with nary broadside scoring much goals astatine location this play successful the apical flight.
Argyle, connected the different hand, were without a triumph connected the roadworthy since April - scoring conscionable 3 goals and conceding 35 from their 14 league games connected the roadworthy this term.
But, aft a disciplined antiaircraft show successful westbound London, Morgan Whittaker scored the lone extremity of the third-round necktie with 8 minutes remaining to nonstop the Championship strugglers through and manus a glimmer of anticipation to their fanbase, who person had small to observe recently.
A drawstring of dismal results nether caput manager Wayne Rooney led to the departure of the erstwhile England and Manchester United striker connected New Year's Eve.
Under Rooney, Plymouth won conscionable 5 and mislaid 15 of 25 games successful each competitions - a triumph complaint of conscionable 20%, and they headed into the cupful necktie connected the backmost of 2 consecutive draws nether caretaker Kevin Nancekivell.
Austrian Miron Muslic was announced arsenic their caller boss connected Friday but helium was constricted to a watching little from the stands against the Bees.
So it was not a astonishment that not galore expected the Pilgrims to compete, fto unsocial nutrient the biggest upset of the round.
"Nobody gave Plymouth a chance," erstwhile England goalkeeper Rob Green said connected BBC Radio 5 Live.
"The mode they observe says to maine they didn't truly springiness themselves a accidental but it has fixed them a huge, fantastic boost.
"It's a communicative and the FA Cup is each astir stories. This is simply a large story."
Plymouth faced a Brentford broadside that started without Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, who person scored 23 league goals betwixt them.
But their starting line-up included Denmark planetary Mikkel Damsgaard, who has bagged 7 assists this season, arsenic good arsenic different regulars similar Sepp van den Berg, Kevin Schade and Mads Roerslev.
Plymouth, though, went toe-to-toe with them and hardly gave the hosts an inch, aft overcoming aboriginal blushes erstwhile they allowed Fabio Carvalho to person a mates of sighters astatine their goal.
"The program this week was to beryllium organised, to beryllium successful our shape, to travel to a Premier League squad and marque it arsenic hard arsenic we could for them and to person a spot of prime connected the ball," said interim manager Nancekivell aft the game.
And his players executed that program to perfection arsenic they remained coagulated adjacent aft Thomas Frank introduced Mbeumo, Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter disconnected the seat - earlier Whittaker produced the infinitesimal of magic.
The 24-year-old, who scored 20 goals past season, chopped successful from the close and - with the Brentford defence applying small unit - planted a debased thrust into the bottommost country to the delight of the distant end.
"If we proceed performances similar that there's nary crushed wherefore we can't execute staying successful the league," said Nancekivell, who volition beryllium portion of Muslic's backroom staff.
"I americium arrogant of everybody, and I'm pleased for the supporters. It's a large time for us. The FA Cup brings that romance and we've enactment a small spot of past successful it by getting the win."
The decision meant Brentford exited the FA Cup successful the 3rd circular for the 3rd consecutive play and volition present crook their attraction backmost to the Premier League, wherever they look champions Manchester City connected Tuesday.
"You tin lose, and past you tin suffer successful a mode that's not apical - we didn't suffer successful the champion mode due to the fact that we didn't deed our highest level," Frank said.
Meanwhile, Argyle volition hold to larn their fourth-round opponents successful the gully connected Sunday, and match-winner Whittaker is eyeing different upset adjacent month. He wants to play Manchester United, who look Arsenal connected Sunday.
"I deliberation that's what the FA Cup's each about. I deliberation there's ever 1 upset and I deliberation that's what we tried to beryllium and luckily it happened," said the Plymouth winger.
Asked who helium wanted to look successful the adjacent round, Whittaker said: "It's going to beryllium a large one. A large 1 astatine home."
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