Plymouth booked a Carabao Cup second-round meeting with newly-promoted Coventry after a dramatic finish to the Devon derby saw them score twice in stoppage time to beat rivals Exeter 2-0 at Home Park. Frank Lampard’s top-flight Coventry now await Tom Cleverley’s side in the next round.
How the Game Unfolded
The breakthrough finally came deep into added time, with former Exeter defender Alex Hartridge heading Plymouth in front in the second minute of stoppage time from a Harvey White corner. Canadian striker Bim Pepple then doubled the lead in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time, capitalising on a defensive mix-up at the back for Exeter.
It capped off a tense and largely scrappy contest in front of 16,755 fans at Home Park, with genuine chances hard to come by for much of the match. Exeter’s best opportunity of the first half came in the 29th minute, when Charlie Cummins fired high and wide after the ball dropped to him from a headed clearance. Plymouth had a decent chance of their own two minutes later, with Jack Bycroft producing an excellent full-length save to deny Pepple’s angled drive.
Plymouth continued to press for a breakthrough in the second half Pepple headed just over from a Malachi Boateng cross in the 57th minute, before Will Evans spurned a golden opportunity on the hour mark, firing over from 12 yards. Exeter’s night was made harder still when substitute Ethan Sunderland, already booked in the 78th minute, was shown a second yellow and sent off in the 88th minute, shortly before Plymouth’s late double strike settled the tie.
Plymouth’s Reward: Coventry in Round Two
The win sets up a home tie against Frank Lampard’s Coventry City in the Carabao Cup second round, giving Plymouth a shot at facing Premier League opposition following the Sky Blues’ promotion.
Carabao Cup Second Round Draw in Full
North Draw
- Stoke City vs Hull City
- Newcastle vs West Brom
- Blackburn vs Sheffield Utd
- Nottingham Forest vs Leeds
- Doncaster vs Middlesbrough
- Barnsley vs Crewe
- Preston vs Everton
- Blackpool vs Lincoln
- Sheffield Wednesday vs Wolves
- Bradford vs Burnley
- Fleetwood vs Shrewsbury
South Draw
- Walsall vs Leyton Orient
- Ipswich vs Leicester
- Cardiff vs Norwich
- Stevenage vs Reading
- Cambridge vs Millwall
- Birmingham City vs Brentford
- Southampton vs West Ham
- Watford vs Peterborough
- Fulham vs AFC Wimbledon
- Plymouth vs Coventry
- Chelsea vs Luton
- Tottenham vs Charlton
Quick Facts: Plymouth 2-0 Exeter
- Scorers: Alex Hartridge (90+2′), Bim Pepple (90+4′)
- Sent off: Ethan Sunderland (Exeter, 88′, second yellow)
- Attendance: 16,755 (Home Park)
- Plymouth’s next opponent: Coventry City (home, Carabao Cup Round 2)
