Miron Muslic hailed Plymouth’s spirit after comeback victory

Plymouth boss Miron Muslic praised the never-say-die Pilgrims for a remarkable late 2-1 Championship comeback win over promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

Muhamed Tijani scored an 88th-minute winner after in-form Ryan Hardie – with nine goals in his last 11 games – cancelled out Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s 44th minute opener.

That boosted Plymouth’s survival hopes, while blunting the Blades’ automatic promotion hopes as they slipped five points behind joint leaders Leeds and Burnley with four games remaining.

Muslic said: “The message at half time was we are in this game and we must believe we can turn this.

“They are a top team and would have wanted to score a second goal.

“It’s important to start strong but more important to finish strong.

“I knew if we had to do something extraordinary Joe (Edwards) can help us.

“Joe’s first action without touching the ball was to lift the crowd and that was massive. Joe did it today, like a skipper. Magnificent.

“I think Joe himself would have been frustrated at not starting but I think today’s decision was the right one. And he will start the next game.

“I went with (Muhamed) Tijani because for the last 30 (minutes) because I thought we could win the game.

“He flicked-on four or five, six headers then rewarded himself with a brilliant goal.

“After the Swansea defeat I predicted the unpredictability of Argyle. It drives me crazy and costs me lots of lost sleep at night.

“We have to believe we can win games back-to-back. We have been here before now we have to do it next Friday.

“Bali (Mumba) was key for us to turn the game. I knew once Ryan (Hardie) scored then that would be big for us and I thought ‘we can do this’.

“The almost impossible is possible again.”

United boss Chris Wilder bemoaned his side’s profligacy and felt a second goal would have wrapped up the points.

Wilder said: “The biggest message was to go and be clinical. We did what we needed to do in getting the first goal.

“We dealt with the throw-ins and set pieces.

“The first goal goes in, and that quietens the home crowd down. But to go and get the second goal would have killed the game.

“We never really showed the quality we should be showing at the top end of the pitch. We should have scored when Tyrese (Campbell) was through.

“They found a winner. Their lad does brilliant with that cross in from in front of the dugout.

“We had to go and get the second goal. At any level one goal is never enough.

“We got to 75 minutes I never felt there was a goal coming. That’s not arrogance. Coops (Michael Cooper) didn’t have much to do. We were in control of the game.

“From their point of view it’s a massive victory. From our point of view it’s a massive disappointment – three defeats in a week.

“We couldn’t have had a worse week in terms of results.

“Players have to pick themselves up and that’s what I was talking about in the huddle afterwards.

“We have not been good enough in the last three games. I don’t think it’s pressure or nerves. We are just not finding big enough moments.

“We need a big week now when we get back in on Monday. We can’t afford to lose three on the spin if we want to be in amongst it.

“We need a win on Friday to get that feeling back inside us.”