Argyle 2
Ebanks-Blake 31, 58

Cardiff City 2
Rae 71, Thompson 86

ROBBIE who? Jimmy Whatsisname? Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was Argyle's TV star as Ian Holloway's household names - in their own household, anyway - secured a third successive Championship draw.

The former Manchester United man hit goals four and five of his increasingly improving season either side of the half-time interval to earn Argyle a point in front of the Sky cameras.

Cardiff were no mugs, however, and Gavin Rae's strike halfway through the second half and a late equalizer from substitute Steve Thompson saw the Pilgrims pegged back from two up to 2-2.

Holloway had dropped Hungarians Ákos Buzsáky and Péter Halmosi after the midfelders returned from midweek international duty only on Friday.

Buzsáky's place was filled by teenager Dan Gosling, fresh from helping England to the final stages of the Under-17 World Cup in Korea, and even fresher from signing a new, improved, three-year contract with the Pilgrims.

Bojan Djordjic, who had not previously been in a Championship squad this season, was given a start in the left-wing berth

Cardiff's starting line-up included former Argyle favourite Tony Capaldi, who left Home Park in the summer on a Bosman free transfer.The Northern Ireland international lined up at left-back, intriguingly directly opposite his good friend David Norris.

There was, however, no place for Robbie Fowler, who had to settle for a place on the bench as Paul Parry was promoted to partner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Midfielder Joe Ledley, the Coca-Cola Championship's young player of last season, was similarly demoted, with his place going to Peter Whittingham, a goalscoring substitute at Norwich last time out. Kevin McNaughton took the place of injured Dutchman Glen Loovens in defence.

McNaughton was by far the busiest of the recalled players in the opening minutes, during which a Cardiff attack was an event of rarity.

More predictable were the catcalls that greeted Capaldi's every touch. The same fans who mercilessly jeered a player who was an integral part of the Pilgrims' 2004 title success had, incidentally, cheered Fowler's name when it been read out before the game. As they say in America, you go figure.

Despite early territorial dominance, however, Argyle were unable to get a clear sight on Ross Turnbull's goal. Their best chance came when Barry Hayles worked the ball out to Norris, but a snap shot went high and wide of the Devonport end goal.

A game which was low on incident nearly sparked into life when Argyle's defence, which had already shown one or two ponderous tendencies, allowed Cardiff captain Stephen McPhail a shot on goal that needed a deflection to make it safe.

Norris was swapped into the centre with Gosling but, although Argyle's balance seemed a little better, chances for either side remained at a premium.

Just as you sensed Cardiff were begin to sense there was something in the game for them, Ebanks-Blake broke the stalemate.

Djordjic drew a free-kick from Trevor Sinclair on the left, midway inside the Cardiff half, which allowed Gosling to sling in a cross which, like most of the Pilgrims' set-pieces, sought the head of Krisztián Timár.

The curved-in right-foot delivery did not find the Hungarian, but the dangerous delivery was imprecisely cleared by the Bluebirds' defence and Ebanks-Blake seized on the loose ball and lifted it home from ten yards.

Going behind seemed to galvanise the visitors, who produced their most fluid moves of the game leading up to an interval they wanted much less than Argyle.

Halmosi replaced Djordjic at the break and it was a free-kick from his side that saw another Gosling set-piece nearly pay an early second-half dividend.

Again Timár's head was the target and again the ball fell loose, but this time into the path of the big Hungarian centre-back. This time, though, the Cardiff defence was more lively than they had been in the first half and McNaughton stretched to block the shot.

Cardiff responded with a quick break that saw Whittingham's shot ask the first real question of the match of Luke McCormick, now happily in the shade of the Devonport end stand after 45 minutes staring into a setting sun.

Holloway sent on Buszáky, which added a deal of piquancy to the Pilgrims' midfield efforts. The Magyar was immediately involved in a flowing end-to-end move that finished with Hayles heading goalwards but without enough power to trouble Turnbull.

No matter. Buszáky's next contribution was a raking drive from well outside the box that Turnbull, at full stretch, could only parry. Ebanks-Blake reacted swiftest of all to slot the spilled pill into the net for number two.

Cardiff sent on Fowler for Whittingham, and pounded McCormick's goal. Their efforts were helped by some less than composed defending and poor decision-making but a combination of the bravery and anticipation of McCormick, and - it has to be said - luck, maintained the two-goal margin.

It could not last, and Rae's goal that brought Cardiff back into the match shocked no-one. A tidy build-up by the visitors ended with Parry driving in a shot that McCormick only pushed into the path of Rae, who walked the ball home.

Argyle needed to make sure they wrested back the momentum but found that easier said, than done. One break, engineered by Buszáky, relieved the tension and nearly provided Ebanks-Blake with his hat-trick. McNaughton's last-ditch goal-denying tackle was world class.

Cardiff sent on another international striker in Scot Steve Thompson before Ebanks-Blake gave way to injury, and Thompson had been on the pitch only a few minutes when he steered home Hasselbaink's flick-on.

Argyle nearly nicked the victory in injury-time, but Sinclair deprived Chadwick at the last and honours finished even.

Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick (gk); 2 Paul Connolly, 5 Krisztián Timár, 19 Marcel Seip, 18 Gary Sawyer; 7 David Norris, 22 Dan Gosling (8 Ákos Buszáky 55), 26 Nadjim Abdou, 32 Bojan Djordjic (16 Péter Halmosi half-time); 9 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (11 Nick Chadwick 85), 10 Barry Hayles (c). Substitutes (not used): 13 Mathias Kouo-Doumbe, 14 Rory Fallon.

Booked: Seip 63, Ebanks-Blake 74.

Cardiff City (4-4-2): 1 Ross Turnbull; 44 Chris Gunter (20 Steve Thompson 83), 12 Roger Johnson, 2 Kevin McNaughton, 3 Tony Capaldi; 18 Trevor Sinclair, 4 Gavin Rae, 10 Stephen McPhail (c), 7 Peter Whittingham (8 Robbie Fowler 60); 11 Paul Parry, 36 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (16 Joe Ledley 89). Substitutes (not used): 13 Michael Oakes (gk), 23 Darcy Blake.

Referee: Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire).

Attendance: 11,951 (545 away).

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