Plymouth Argyle 1 Fleetwood Town 1: Honours even following Cod Army's long trip south

The midfielder was on the stretch as he made perfect contact with Danny Andrew’s superb cross from the left to get off the mark this season.

The 35th minute strike cancelled out Ryan Hardie’s stunning 21st minute opener for the home side.

Both sides had chances to pinch all three points with Shayden Morris rattling the post for the Cod Army and Jordon Garrick hitting the crossbar for the Pilgrims.

Yet a point apiece was the right outcome from a breathless encounter which swung one way and then another.

Fleetwood manager Simon Grayson made two changes to the side that edged past Cheltenham Town last time out.

Ged Garner and Callum Morton came into the side at the expense of Ryan Edmondson and Anthony Pilkington, who both dropped to the bench.

Plymouth had the first sight of goal inside two minutes as Hardie broke, only to see his shot deflect off Harrison Holgate and be easily collected by Fleetwood keeper Alex Cairns.

Having weathered the early storm, Fleetwood – playing a 4-3-3 formation in a bid to stifle Argyle’s expansive 3-5-2 system – started to flex their attacking muscles.

Out of nothing, the hosts grabbed the breakthrough with a quite brilliant finish.

A long ball forward by Brendan Galloway arrowed into the path of Hardie, who took a touch before rifling an explosive shot past Cairns.

Only a last-ditch block by Tom Clarke prevented Hardie from causing more problems before Cairns came to the rescue with a smart save to claw Ryan Broom’s angled drive to safety.

Fleetwood’s best spell of passing culminated in the equaliser as Andrew delivered a stunning cross from the left for Camps to convert from eight yards out.

It could have got even better for the Cod Army in the 40th minute after Plymouth partially cleared Harrison Biggins’ corner, only for Morris to plant a low effort against the post.

Darnell Johnson was booked for simulation as he cut into the box before Hardie wastefully fired over as a frenetic first half drew to a close.

Camps had a glorious chance to put Fleetwood in front in the 54th minute but his fierce effort was brilliantly pushed away by Michael Cooper, who then scrambled clear Clarke’s header from the resulting corner.

The game entered a disjointed stage with a steady flurry of fouls disrupting the rhythm of both sides.

Grayson made a double change in the 77th minute, summoning Pilkington and Jay Matete from the bench to replace Morton and Camps.

The sprightly Morris almost profited from charging down Cooper’s clearance in the 84th minute but the ball fell kindly to the home side and Galloway was able to mop up.

At the other end, Plymouth substitute Garrick thundered a ferocious shot onto the crossbar as Fleetwood survived.

Plymouth Argyle: Cooper, Gillesphey, Houghton, Scarr, Broom, Edwards (Garrick 78), Hardie (Law 86), Grant (Shirley 86), Galloway, Camara, Jephcott. Subs not used: Burton, Randell, Craske, Mitchell.

Fleetwood Town: Cairns, Andrew, Clarke, Johnson, Morton (Pilkington 76), Camps (Matete 76), Rossiter, Holgate, Garner, Morris (Edmondson 88), Biggins. Subs not used: Crellin, Hill, Clark, Johnston.

Referee: Sam Purkiss.

Attendance: 10,453.

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