Ryan Hardie strike wraps up home win for Plymouth

Posted Sunday, August 28, 2022 by PA

Substitute striker Ryan Hardie scored with a thumping 88th-minute effort to wrap up a 2-0 home win for Plymouth against Bolton in League One.

Hardie – on for first-half goalscorer Niall Ennis – gave diving Wanderers goalkeeper James Trafford no chance with his stinging strike after latching on to Morgan Whittaker’s forward pass.

Bolton had gone close to an early opener as Conor Bradley’s ninth-minute angled drive was tipped around the post by Michael Cooper.

At the other end Trafford made a superb diving save to keep out Danny Mayor’s strike from the edge of the box after the playmaker beat two defenders.

Argyle took a 34th-minute lead when striker Ennis latched on to a ball down the flank from Nigel Lonwijk, cut inside and beat his marker before firing past Trafford.

Home skipper Joe Edwards did well to head clear under pressure from Bradley but caused his keeper Cooper to scramble back towards goal to prevent the ball crossing the line.

Cooper made an incredible second-half stop, turning substitute Amadou Bakayoko’s shot on to the post and away to safety, before Hardie made sure of the points.