Plymouth Argyle boss faces up to another relegation fight

MANAGER Carl Fletcher has admitted Argyle are facing another fight against relegation as they enter 2013.

The 20th-placed Pilgrims have won only five of their 25 games in League Two this season.

The 1-0 defeat by Wycombe Wanderers at Home Park on Saturday was their 11th of the campaign.

It leaves them five points clear of the relegation zone, but Argyle have played a couple of more matches than the bottom two of Bristol Rovers and AFC Wimbledon.

The Pilgrims narrowly avoided dropping out of the Football League last term and another struggle for survival is on the cards.

Asked whether Argyle were in a relegation battle, Fletcher replied: "Yes, definitely, as it stands.

"With our performances we shouldn't be anywhere near where we are, but you have to deal with the situation thrown at you.

"It's obviously disappointing not to get the result today because we have been on a good run. We will just get on with it."

Wycombe's winning goal came from striker Matt McClure as early as the 11th minute.

Fletcher said: "I think we dominated 90 per cent of the game. They (Wycombe) had one chance and scored.

"Apart from in the final third, we were really good. The work-rate of the lads was great.

"We just didn't put the ball in the back of the net. That was the only difference in the whole game.

"We dominated pretty much from start to finish and just couldn't get that goal."

Despite all their possession, Argyle rarely tested Wycombe's 19-year-old goalkeeper Jordan Archer, who is on-loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Fletcher said: "We just lacked a bit of quality in the final third. In the first half, I think we could have been 3-0 up in about eight minutes.

"Even after their goal, we had enough possession and chances to get back in the game but we didn't get the goal the rest of the play deserved."

The frustration among the fans spilled over when 17-year-old Tyler Harvey was substituted in the 56th minute by Warren Feeney.

Harvey had scored a late equaliser on his full debut when Argyle drew 1-1 with Devon rivals Torquay United at Home Park on Boxing Day.

Cries of, 'You don't know what you are doing', were aimed at Fletcher by some supporters when Feeney replaced Harvey.

Fletcher said: "Tyler came off because he was injured. He felt his calf. We needed to freshen it up as well.

"That's what you do. If you are not producing something in the game, you look to try to change it to get back into it."

The transfer window opens on New Year's Day and Fletcher wants to add to his squad during January.

Burnley attacker Alex MacDonald is on his shopping list, but he reiterated that he needs to move players out to bring others in.

Fletcher said: "Money-wise, there is nothing there to splash out with. That's the business side of football you have to deal with.

"There are definitely people we want to get in, and we want to get them in straight away, but we can't do it until we get the finances right."

Argyle will have their fourth and final game of the festive period when they travel to 23rd-placed Bristol Rovers on New Year's Day (1pm) – weather permitting.

Rovers, however, will be playing for only the second time because a couple of their matches have been postponed.

Fletcher said: "Rest is important. There is not a lot of work you can do in a short space of time.

"We are travelling up on Monday evening to be ready for the one o'clock kick-off at Bristol Rovers.

"They (Rovers) didn't play again on Saturday so we have had two more games than them.

"I think we have got a few bumps and scrapes and Baz (Onismor Bhasera) came off because he had blurred vision from his bang on the head, so we will have to wait and see.

"But, if we need to change it around, we have got good players who can come in and produce something."