The Pilgrims won their first game at Home Park of 2026 as goals from Brendan Galloway, Mathias Ross and Lorent Tolaj secured a 3-0 League One success – as they hit a points target the head coach set
19:20, 04 Jan 2026Updated 20:31, 04 Jan 2026
Lorent Tolaj scores with a penalty in Argyle’s 3-0 League One win against Burton Albion at Home Park on January 4, 2026 – Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
Tom Cleverley revealed Plymouth Argyle had hit a points target which he set for his side over a 10-game period in League One culminating in their 3-0 victory over Burton Albion at Home Park.
The Pilgrims have picked up 17 points since winning 1-0 away to Port Vale on November 22, with a record of five wins, two draws and three defeats.
Argyle are up to 16th position, although they have played more matches than seven of the eight teams below them in the table.
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Gary Bowyer’s injury-hit Burton were without key players such as Jake Beesley, Tyrese Shade and Charlie Webster against the Pilgrims but there was no sympathy from Cleverley about that.
He has seen his squad ravaged by injuries throughout a difficult 2025/26 campaign, but his squad is now starting to look as though it has some depth to it.
Cleverley said: “We have had to deal with it the whole season where three or four of our most important players are out, and you can see the effect it had on Gary’s team today.
“They are missing Shade, Beesley and Webster. They are not the same team, but I don’t have any sympathy because it’s what we have dealt with all season.
“Today, this squad is looking full again, it’s looking experienced. There is speed, it’s balanced. It had a bit of everything.”
Striker Lorent Tolaj saw a looping shot hit the crossbar only 51 seconds after kick-off as Argyle dominated throughout the first home game of 2026.
They led 1-0 at the interval after a 21st minute finish from left-back Brendan Galloway following a Joe Ralls corner, and there were further goals in the second half from substitute Mathias Ross and Tolaj, from the penalty spot.
Cleverley said: “I thought it was a thoroughly deserved win. We started the game very well, hitting the crossbar in the first minute.
“I thought we tried hurting them in behind. We gave the players a challenge of double figures attempts on goal first half and I think we had 12, and ended up with 20 in the game.
“It was a good balance of control in the game but also having some purpose to it. I thought we were well worthy of the three points.
“Today marks the end of that 10 games that we spoke about and the 17-point target we have managed to achieve. We are heading in the right direction.
“Now it’s about the players having a couple of days rest and then attacking the next block of games.”
Galloway scored direct from a Ralls corner, while Ross extended the Pilgrims’ lead in the 63rd minute when they took a short corner before the ball was crossed into the Burton box.
Cleverley said: “It’s something we were conscious of that we dropped off a little bit. We were really strong on set pieces for the first part of the season.
“Since Burton away (a 4-0 win away in late September) we dropped off for about eight, nine games, and we got back to it today. Two really nice well-worked set piece goals, one direct and one played short, and I was really pleased with that.”
Argyle defender Alex Mitchell challenges for the ball at a corner during the League One game against Burton Albion on Janaury 4, 2026 – Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
Ross had lost his place in the starting line-up against Burton to Julio Pleguezuelo, who then had to be substituted on the hour mark after picking up a calf problem.
Cleverley said about the Danish defender: “He’s a great person, a great professional. He will be ready to give this club everything when called upon.
“He’s a little bit unfortunate to be out of the team, but in the six games Pleggy has played we have only conceded two goals so you can see why I made the decision.
“Now I’m a bit worried about Pleggy, to be honest, his calf. Mathias has done really well, he’s still learning English football, he’s still a fairly young player, and got a really important goal when the match was a little bit in the balance at that time.”
Tolaj missed a penalty when Argyle lost 4-1 at home to Reading on Boxing Day – their only defeat in the last seven league games – but his successful spot kick against Burton leaves him as the top scorer in League One this season with 12 goals.
Bim Pepple was Tolaj’s strike partner for the first hour of the match, before the former was replaced by substitute Caleb Watts, in his second game off the bench after recovering from a long-term hamstring injury.
Cleverley said: “We expect Tolly to score his penalties. He has responded really well from the miss against Reading. The one in the first minute, what a finish to hit the underside of the crossbar.
“Him and Bim worked really well I thought, and then with a different profile of forward player with Caleb Watts I also thought they worked well.
“Tolly has been outstanding. He deserves a couple of days off and to relax, knowing he’s at the top of the charts.”
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