On-loan QPR winger scores in the final minutes to hand Boro victory over promotion rivals

Stevenage 1 Plymouth Argyle 0

Sky Bet League 2

Bruno Andrade’s late strike helped Boro to all three points in a dramatic end to their match against Plymouth.

The winger had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes when he ran on to a Dean Parrett ball, cut inside and, between two defenders, placed the ball in the corner past goalkeeper Luke McCormick.

The on-loan QPR man’s spell with Stevenage is due to end after today’s match, and if he does go back he will be doing so having given Boro a huge lift after helping them to a third win in four matches. It also left the club just one point off the play-off places.

There were two changes from Saturday’s draw at Wycombe Wanderers, with Charlie Lee and Ben Kennedy coming in for Chris Beardsley (suspended) and Dave Martin (bench).

After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Plymouth struck the woodwork with the first shot of note.

There was good hold up play from Lewis Alessandra, allowing Drew Talbot to overlap down the right.

Played in, he looked up and saw Bobby Reid before setting up the midfielder whose first-time volley struck the crossbar.

In the opening half hour both teams cancelled each other out, and even when Plymouth were forced to play with a man down for 10 minutes as Dom Blizzard received treatment back in the dressing room, they didn’t look in any danger of conceding.

That changed following Blizzard’s return, though not as a result of, as Luke McCormick was forced into a one-handed save from Chris Whelpdale. The winger struck a low shot from distance, and the keeper stuck his right palm the ball out.

Boro then went close again, this time good build up play down the right leading to Dean Parrett setting up Kennedy, who fired just wide from a yard inside the box.

Boro made a change at the break with the injured Roarie Deacon making way for Martin, with Whelpdale dropping into the left-back position.

After a strong finish to the first half they started on the front foot following the break, and Kennedy went close only to see his lob fly over the crossbar under pressure.

As the half wore on Plymouth began to see more of the ball, with Boro playing some nice counter-attacking football.

Jason Banton fired just wide from the edge of the box before Boro brought on Andrade for Whelpdale in an attempt to exploit the space.

Banton tried his luck again, this time forcing Day into a wonderful low save to his right, before McCormick was also called into action to deny Tom Pett.

Both sides were finding it difficult to get the better of the Lamex pitch, with Dembele at one point carving out a small trench with one sliding challenge.

But then, out of nothing and after poor defending had allowed Plymouth in for a corner, Boro broke, and when Parrett played in Andrade the winger showed composure to get in between two defenders and fire home the winner.

Stevenage: Day, Henry, Deacon (Martin 46 (D Johnson 86)), Wells, Dembele, Pett, Parrett, Walton, Whelpdale (Andrade 76), Kennedy, Lee. Subs: Beasant, Bond, R Johnson, Conlon.

Plymouth: McCormick, Nelson, Alessandra, Blizzard, Dennis, McHugh, Reid (Cox 81), O’Connor, Talbot, Brunt (Banton 65), Hartley. Subs: Bittner, Mellor, Purrington, Norburn, Harvey.

Ref: A Haines.

Att: 3,022