Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was delighted his side made it five wins in a row as they moved back up to second in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-0 win at Plymouth.
A 63rd-minute own goal from Brendan Galloway and Kieffer Moore volley secured the win, while Argyle’s Mickel Miller hit a post and saw Town defender Luke Woolfenden clear his volley off the line.
McKenna said: “To win five in a row, when we have had some tough away games, that consistency is really pleasing.
“It was a really solid performance. Our organisation was good, our discipline was good and we were really competitive.
“We came out on top in more than our fair share of challenges and that gave us a really good foothold in the game in the first half.
“We knew it was going to be difficult. We knew we were going to have to stand up to a really strong home atmosphere and we had to stand up in difficult conditions, weather and pitch-wise.
“We did that really well and that gave us a really good platform at half-time to know we could push on…if we kept doing the right things, kept limiting their threats, we knew the chances would come our way and it was another really good second-half performance.
“We haven’t had too many games like this one. It was quite stop-start.
“We always back our fitness, our style, to some point it was not easy in the first half.
“We really felt confident that it would come good for us in the second half.
“The goal took a really big deflection but we had created chances either side of the goal so we felt a goal was coming.”
Argyle head coach Ian Foster said: “We don’t like losing games of football, especially here at Home Park, and obviously we are just really disappointed with the manner of the goal.
“It’s an unfortunate one for us. The shot was going wayward and it’s just hit Brendan and unfortunately ricocheted into the goal.
“The manner of that type of goal can affect you psychologically.
“It’s been an incredibly tough run of games here and we’ve given it our best shot, two of those teams we have played have shared second place today.
“We’ve tried to have right go – and I think we’ve done that again.
“We have shown that we can bounce back, so hopefully we can do that on Tuesday at Sheffield Wednesday.
“The players have been outstanding, fabulous.
“The first goal has just taken the wind out of our sails a little bit.
“If you look at their record, Ipswich have lost the least amount of games. We managed to stick with them for 63 minutes and then conceded a freak goal.
“If I have one criticism of us we didn’t react positively enough to that goal, and I get it, but you have to bounce back and show a little more resilience and character. But I don’t want to be too critical of the players.
“We can only take control of the next 90 minutes. We go to Sheffield Wednesday with confidence. We know the job in hand and have to go up there and give it our best.
“We haven’t lacked belief in any game, we go into every game trying to win. Today was a disappointing one for us but we won’t get too down about it.
“It’s just about taking it one game at a time. We won’t dwell on it, we just move on and get excited about the next game.”
Messi absence forces Martino apology for disappointed Vancouver crowd
Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez all did not travel for Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, leading head coach Gerardo Martino to apologise.
The former Barcelona trio were expected to feature for the Eastern Conference leaders on Sunday, but were rested as Martino's side triumphed thanks to goals from Robert Taylor and Leonardo Campana.
Vancouver's BC Place was expecting a larger than usual home crowd to greet the global superstars, though Whitecaps Axel Schuster apologised once the hosts got wind of Messi's absence.
With Martino subsequently leaving Messi and his former Blaugrana stars at home, the Miami boss felt it necessary to offer his apologies to the expectant Vancouver crowd.
"Obviously it is very important for us because of the absences we had," Martino said after the victory that made it 10 unbeaten games for Miami.
"The expectation that people have. I really don't think I have to apologise, but in some ways we are very sorry for not being able to travel with our stars.
"There is a question, we have or have come without our great players. Leo, Luis, Busi, Diego Gomez and still we have competed very well."
Schuster and the Whitecaps had previously echoed Martino's apologetic sentiment on Thursday when news emerged of their absence.
"We know that there will also be a lot of disappointed fans," Schuster said in a statement released by Vancouver.
Disappointment followed on the pitch as Vancouver slipped to six straight MLS matches without victory.
Vancouver Whitecaps 1-2 Inter Miami: Taylor stars for Eastern Conference leaders
Inter Miami extended their club-record unbeaten streak as Robert Taylor starred in Sunday's 2-1 triumph away to Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS.
Taylor opened the scoring after 38 minutes before teeing up Leonardo Campana's second-half strike, rendering Ryan Gauld's late penalty as meaningless at BC Place.
Jordi Alba teed up Taylor's third MLS goal this season, playing down the left before the Miami man cut inside and rifled into the top-right corner.
Taylor continued to dominate in the second half, driving down the left-hand side before cutting back for Campana to slot a routine, first-time finish into the bottom-right corner after 54 minutes.
Gauld sliced the deficit with 18 minutes remaining, caressing a cool penalty past Drake Callender, but that mattered for little as Miami continue to lead the Eastern Conference standings.
Data Debrief: Unbeaten Miami on fire
Gerardo Martino's side are now unbeaten in their last 10 MLS games, a club-record run, as well as moving to five games undefeated on the road – another first for Miami.
In stark contrast, Vanni Sartini's Whitecaps are without victory in their last six MLS matches, last suffering as long as a winless streak between October 2022 and March 2023.
Pioli vows to never forget Milan faithful after Rossoneri farewell
Stefano Pioli vowed to never forget the Milan supporters after signing off from his Rossoneri tenure with a disappointing 3-3 draw with Salernitana on Saturday.
Pioli has the fourth-most Serie A wins of any Milan manager (108), behind Carlo Ancelotti (163), Nereo Rocco (120) and Fabio Capello (110).
Yet the Italian leaves after a five-year spell in Milan, having suffered a frustrating season and finishing second behind city rivals Inter.
"We lost together, we suffered together, we won and rejoiced together... You have an energy that we tried to put on the field," Pioli said as he thanked the fans during his speech on the pitch after the game.
"You put a fire in my heart and it will always remain lit. I will not forget you."
Pioli led the Rossoneri to their first league title in over a decade in 2022 but they have struggled to challenge since and are 18 points behind Inter, who visit Verona for their final game on Sunday.
The seven-time European champions bowed out of the Champions League in the group stage earlier this season before getting knocked out of the Europa League by Roma in the quarter-finals.
"I experienced emotions thanks to our fans that don't happen often in the career of a coach," Pioli added to DAZN.
"They filled my heart with joy and gratification. I can only be proud of what we did together, to be forever in the history books of such a prestigious club.
"This experience took me to this moment and I want to keep building, if I get the possibility, something special.
"I am very demanding with myself, I leave my comfort zone. I know what to ask from the club and players, I know what it takes to raise the level again. That is the joy of this profession.
"We were the youngest squad to win the Scudetto and I watched these lads become men. I can say that I have the ambition to try to repeat something special."
As for his future, Pioli hinted that the Premier League could be an option if the opportunity arises.
"I am studying English, it might be the right time," he continued. "We'll see over the next 10-15 days, which could be decisive, but I don't feel the pressure to choose anything in particular.
"I realised that I am very resilient and tenacious. This is part of the growth process for a coach.
"I don't like coaches who talk too much, above all those who are not working now or worked in the past and talk a lot. They've all been through the same things we have, they know judgment could be more balanced."
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