Mick McCarthy admired his players’ character in twice coming from behind to draw - but insisted Wolves should have beaten Plymouth.Michael Kightly and substitute Sam Vokes equalised, but only after defensive lapses cost the visitors.
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“I was happy to take the point but I was disappointed because I thought we should have won,” said McCarthy. “I’m not so sure a draw was a fair result.
“All the lads came in saying, ‘well done’ because we twice came back from behind.
“I admire their resilience and determination in coming back from the disappointments to get us a point.
“But let’s not be blowing smoke up where the light doesn’t shine because we should have won, and testimony to that is the fact Graham Stack (Plymouth goalkeeper) won the man of the match award.”
McCarthy added: “It was a scruffy game at times played in awful conditions for August and there were always going to be mistakes.
“The first goal we conceded was awful and then the second came from a corner which we shouldn’t have given away and then should have dealt with.
“We worked damned hard to get those two goals back and there was a spell where it looked as if it might not happen when ‘Stacky’ was saving them with his foot, his backside - everything.
“Not many teams are going to come to Plymouth and get much with their crowd right up for it, so to come back as we did was good.
“The downside of it was we didn’t finish off our chances and we didn’t defend particularly well, certainly for the two goals.”
Argyle target man Rory Fallon had fired Plymouth ahead after seven minutes from Stack’s wind-assisted down-field clearance, needing just one touch with his left foot to loop the ball over Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Man of the Michael Kightly replied, steering his volley home at the far post in the 19th minute from Kevin Foley’s right-wing cross.
The hosts regained the lead in the 56th minute when central defender Marcel Seip hooked the ball home from six yards as it fell after Chris Clark’s right-wing corner had been headed skywards.
Stack, on loan at Wolves last season, was impressive after unfancied Argyle strode into a 2-1 lead.
But he could do nothing about a superb late leveller, swept home by substitute Vokes in the 78th minute - seconds after his inspired introduction.
MATCH FACTS:
Plymouth (4-4-2): Stack; Seip, Clark (Paterson 72), Kouo-Doumbe (Timar 68), Barker; Summerfield (Puncheon 82), Walton, Duguid, Mackie; Easter, Fallon. Subs not used: Larrieu, MacLean.
Wolves (4-4-2): Hennessey; Foley, Craddock, Stearman, Elokobi; Kightly, Henry, Jones, S Ward (Jarvis 67); Ebanks-Blake (Vokes 77), Keogh (Iwelumo 67). Subs not used: Ikeme, Collins.
Referee: K Friend (Leicester).
Attendance: 14,789.
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