Plymouth 6 Peterborough 1

Last updated : 04 March 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Plymouth Argyle galloped to their biggest win for nine seasons scoring six at home for the first time since 1987 as they outclassed a poor Peterborough side.

First-half goals from Marino Keith and Paul Wotton together with own goals from Sagi Burton and Matt Gill put Plymouth well in charge and David Friio and Jason Bent added to their tally in the second either side of a consolation goal from Posh substitute Leon McKenzie.

Peterborough were simply unable to deal with Argyle's set pieces. The first goal after nine minutes came when Lee Hodges fired a corner to the far post which Keith headed home.

There was a delay of some nine minutes after the goal netting came away from its moorings but immediately afterwards Plymouth picked up from where they left off.

Wotton pumped a high ball into the Posh area and Burton sent a looping header past his own goalkeeper Lee Harrison.

Argyle's third was another self-inflicted wound by Peterborough. Another Hodges' corner in the 42nd minute, was flicked on by Friio only for Gill to inadvertently head the ball into his own net.

In the time added on for the delay while the goal netting was fixed Wotton added the home side's fourth, taking a short free kick from Hodges and powering the ball home.

Friio was next to get on the score sheet. Martin Phillips took a pass from Michael Evans, went outside his fullback, and crossed for the French midfielder to head past Harrison.

Friio then turned villain, selling his goalkeeper Romain Larrieu short with a back pass that McKenzie latched onto to fire home. Within two minutes, Argyle had erased that from their memory.

Another Wotton corner was flicked on at the near post and, after a goalmouth scramble, Bent fired home.

Argyle manager, Paul Sturrock, said afterwards: "The performance speaks for itself.

That's been waiting to happen for a few weeks. There's no point in discussing who was good and who was bad because there were very very good performances from eleven players." Posh boss Barry Fry had a very different view, commenting: "We were a shambles, an absolute embarrassment.

"We've got Wigan on Saturday and, if we play like that, it will be a cricket score."