Wayne Rooney Secures First Win as Plymouth Argyle Head Coach with Dominant Carabao Cup Victory

Wayne Rooney claimed his first victory as Plymouth Argyle head coach as his side cruised to a 3-0 win over Cheltenham Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup at Home Park. Following a tough debut loss at Sheffield Wednesday, Rooney made significant changes to the lineup, and his revamped side delivered a commanding performance, advancing comfortably to the next round.

Argyle set the tone early, with Ryan Hardie and Freddie Issaka both coming close in the first half. However, Cheltenham almost stunned the home crowd just before halftime when Ethon Archer’s low drive struck the post, ricocheted off goalkeeper Conor Hazard, and went out for a corner.

Plymouth broke the deadlock on the hour mark through Ben Waine, who capitalized on a goalmouth scramble to tap in from close range after Adam Randell’s curling free-kick was parried onto the crossbar. The goal sparked a dominant spell for the home side as they began to find their rhythm and put Cheltenham under sustained pressure.

Rooney’s substitutions made the difference late on, as Mustapha Bundu and Morgan Whittaker injected pace and creativity into the attack. Ibrahim Cissoko, another substitute, provided a pinpoint cross from the left for Hardie to make it 2-0 with a sharp finish. Bundu then capped off the scoring with a precise low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, showcasing the quality that Rooney will hope to unlock consistently this season.

Rooney, reflecting on the game, expressed his satisfaction with how his side responded to Sunday’s heavy defeat. “I thought we were good. The first half was a bit sloppy at times, but in the second half we came out with much more control and were more threatening going forward,” he said. “I saw a lot of things I wanted to see tonight which I didn’t see on Sunday. The best way to move on from that loss was to win, and thankfully, we did.”

Despite the loss, Cheltenham Town manager Michael Flynn found positives in his team’s performance. “For 65 minutes, we did really well until they scored – then our heads seemed to drop,” Flynn said. “Joe [Day] made one of the best saves I’ve seen in a long time, but we switched off and allowed them a tap-in. We’re a team in development with many inexperienced players, but there were encouraging moments tonight.”

Cheltenham threatened sporadically throughout the game, most notably when Hazard tipped over Joel Colwill’s long-range effort late in the match. However, Plymouth’s quality shone through as they eased to victory, sending a clear message that they are determined to challenge on multiple fronts this season.

With a morale-boosting win under his belt, Rooney will be looking to build momentum as Argyle shift focus back to their league campaign. The Home Park faithful, treated to a much-improved performance, will be hopeful that this is just the beginning of a new era under their high-profile manager.

As the second round of the Carabao Cup beckons, Plymouth Argyle appear ready to push forward with renewed confidence, while Cheltenham will aim to take the lessons learned into their upcoming League Two fixtures.