Plymouth 1-0Leicester

Mustapha Bundu’s superb strike midway through the first half was enough to secure a vital 1-0 victory for Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle as leaders Leicester suffered another blow to their promotion hopes.

A point still separates the top three teams, with Enzo Maresca’s side suffering a second away defeat in the space of four days after losing 1-0 at Millwall on Tuesday in similar circumstances.

In the 21st minute the key moment of the match arrived. Bundu collected Adam Forshaw’s pass, cut inside Wout Faes and brilliantly found the far corner.

Plymouth director of football Neil Dewsnip told Sky Sports: “We’ve seen in training sometimes it goes into the stand, into the next pitch, but sometimes it goes in. Tonight was his night and he scored with a fantastic goal.”

Patson Daka, without a goal in nine games, was guilty of missing Leicester’s best chance shortly after the break when he headed wide of Abdul Fatawu’s cross before Julio Pleguezuelo had the chance not to concede penalty after tangling with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inside the area.

Goalkeeper Michael Cooper came to Argyle’s rescue in second-half injury time as he rushed to smother at the feet of substitute Jamie Vardy, but Plymouth held on to secure their first home win since January and three essential points in his attempt to survive.

The result means they move up to 16th with 48 points, five clear of the relegation zone. Leicester remain top of the Championship table, but having now played the same number of games as rivals Ipswich Town and Leeds United, both of whom can overtake the Foxes when they play this weekend.

“We have had pressure from the start, we have four games left and three at home,” Leicester coach Enzo Maresca said afterwards. “I hope that with our fans behind us we can achieve our goal.

How the Foxes missed the chance to clear at the top

It took Leicester just five minutes to test home goalkeeper Cooper as Fatawu’s thumping right-footed shot – after a flowing move – forced him into a diving save low to his left.

Ricardo Pereira was next to test Cooper, after a defensive double with Wilfred Ndidi. Again, it was all Cooper could do as he dove to parry the ball.

Stephy Mavididi latched onto the aerial ball and headed it across the goal, leading to a goalmouth scramble and Argyle eventually clearing the ball.

Mavididi came close with a curling shot in the 13th minute after being teed up by playmaker Dewsbury-Hall on the edge of the area. The attacking midfielder’s shot beat Cooper for pace but flew over the post.

Completely against the run of play, Plymouth stunned their visitors with a goal on the clock in the 21st minute.

Forshaw intercepted a Leicester attack and released recalled striker Bundu with a superb measured pass in the middle of the park.

Bundu sprinted forward and – as he entered the penalty area – unleashed a fierce angled strike from the right which beat Mads Hermansen’s diving pass and flew into the far corner.

Harry Winks shot wide from 20 yards as Argyle failed to clear his lines following another City corner as the half hour mark approached.

Argyle’s next best chance fell to Bundu, after good work from Forshaw and substitute Joe Edwards, but this time the striker fired high.

Cooper did well to save low at his near post as Dewsbury-Hall shot across the face of goal in the 44th minute from close range.

Cooper was called into action again early in the second half as he made another save, while Dewsbury-Hall tried their luck from 25 yards out moments later.

Centre-back Dan Scarr did well to duck and head a quick cross from Fatawu from the right to the near post as Leicester continued to press for the equaliser.

Fatawu’s next cross from the right – after 56 minutes – found striker Daka and his deft touch at the near post beat Cooper but went past the far post.

Daka’s last action was a shot wide when he was well placed at the far post after 67 minutes. He was replaced by former England international striker Jamie Vardy.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Wout Faes’ cross from the right was deflected towards goal by Mavididi but once again Cooper was equal to the effort.

Cooper made an even better save, diving bravely to deny Vardy as the Leicester striker burst into the box one-on-one in the 88th minute, but the hosts held on for the much-deserved victory.

Managers

Plymouth director of football Neil Rosée told Sky Sports: “The voice is completely gone! My wife told me not to shout anymore, so sorry Jane, I have to apologise.

“We showed the country that we are very difficult to beat and the crowd showed how difficult it is to come to Home Park and when we all come together we are a real force.

“Of course we would like to have more of the ball, but we have to accept that we are playing against an exceptional football team and sometimes you have to let yourself go and defend your goal with your life.

“We went in with a game plan and knew how to win it while having a lot of defense to do. It took some resilience so we’re excited.”

Leicester chief Enzo Maresca told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said the same thing. When you don’t create chances, you have to analyze and try to understand the reason. But when you create chances, it happened tonight, on last game we lost too But we lost again tonight, the good thing is that it’s still in our hands.

How important is it to maintain mental focus and determination? “It’s very important. That’s why we played the way we did tonight, why we created the chances we had. But in football you have to take them. For different reasons we don’t We’re not scoring a lot of goals and I hope we can do that next game.

“We don’t have a bonus, it’s still in our hands but we have to go back in the next game and win every game we have. The players gave everything for 95 minutes. They created chances, They played the way we want to play, but in the end we understand the fans completely – when we don’t win, they’re not happy. We understand.”

Player of the Match – Dan Scarr

Plymouth defender Dan Scarr, who made a match-high six clearances, told Sky Sports:

“It’s a great atmosphere and the fans have always been behind us, through bad times and good times. Today they carried us through to the end, they were phenomenal.

“Kevin (Nancekivell) and Neil (Dewsnip) have been brilliant. They have brought us all together and been positive every step of the way. They have faith in us and that’s all this group needs, just a little bit of belief.

“If we play like that, we can beat anyone.”