Argyle 2
Ebanks-Blake 15, Summerfield 90
Doncaster Rovers 0
SYLVAN Ebanks-Blake's seventh goal in his last ten games and substitute Luke Summerfield's last-minute free-kick eased a less than full strength Argyle into the third round of the League Cup for the first time in a decade and a half.
Sylv's early opportunistic strike and Summers' late blast was the paper difference between the two sides, although, in truth, the victory was a lot, lot, easier than the scoreline suggests. And you could probably add another 'lot' in there.
A combination of some good, and some lucky, goalkeeping, some unlucky finishing, some desperate defending and a few bad choices in front of goal by the Pilgrims, kept their League One visitors in the hunt long after they should have been chased out of the competition.
As it was, Argyle emulated Peter Shilton's Class of '92 to make their passage to the round where the eight Premier League sides who are also involved in European competition enter the Carling-sponsored tournament.
Pilgrims' manager Ian Holloway had made six changes from the team that went 3-0 down at Barnsley at the weekend before dug-out remedial work saw the Greens claw back to 3-2.
All three substitutes at Oakwell were given starts, which meant recalls for strikers Ebanks-Blake and Nick Chadwick and a full debut for French midfielder Nadjim Abdou, aka Jimmy, in place of his countryman Lilian Nalis.
The other three changes were to the defence that looked decidedly unsteady in South Yorkshire, with goalkeeper Luke McCormick making a second successive Carling Cup appearance.
The inclusion of Krisztián Timár at centre-back in place of Mathias Kouo-Doumbe meant a rare triple-Hungarian start for Argyle's three magical Magyars, while veteran utility man Lee Hodges returned at left-back.
Doncaster, beaten 2-1 at home to Bournemouth on Saturday, gave a debut to on-loan Manchester City centre-back Matt Mills in place of Gordon Greer, and recalled midfield wide men Lewis Guy and Sean McDaid in place of former Exeter man James Coppinger and Mark Wilson.
Argyle had already peppered the Doncaster goal before they took the lead in the 15th minute, with Ebanks-Blake's early header from Paul Connolly's right-wing cross that skimmed the crossbar being the closest of several near-things.
David Norris had a shot saved by former Scottish international goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, and Ákos Buzsáky fired a free-kick over before Ebanks-Blake latched on to a rebound after Sullivan had again saved from Chuck to fire the Pilgrims into the lead with a low shot from 15 yards.
The Pilgrims kept the heat on after the ice-breaker and were denied a second only by, firstly, a linesman's dubious award of offside against Chadwick, and, then, a Doncaster defender's heel, which blocked a fierce goalbound attempt from Jimmy.
Doncaster managed their first meaningful shot on target after half-an-hour, when McCormick easily pouched a quickly taken free-kick, before Chadders glanced a header wide from a right-wing Halmosi corner and then was foiled by Sullivan as he attempted to take the ball round the goalkeeper following Halmosi's 45-yard range-finder.
The half ended with Argyle totally dominant, as Ákos got closer with his second free-kick, causing Sullivan to turn the dipping ball over his crossbar at full stretch.
A measure of Argyle's stranglehold was given by Doncaster's half-time changes, which saw a triple substitution by manager Sean O'Driscoll (wonder where he got that idea from?) that included the introduction of former Argyle trialist, striker Mark McCammon.
No matter. Timár resumed the assault on the Rovers' goal, catching countryman Halmosi's cross flush with a swinging right boot only for Sullivan to kick it to safety, by way of a goalpost.
Ákos joined in the Hungarian hammering with a powerful drive from 25 yards that Sullivan beat back out, and then danced his way through to within two yards of goal only for his shot to be defeated by the tight angle from which he eventually unleashed.
Halmosi then cut inside from the left but saw his shot blocked bravely by half-time substitute Gordon Greer, before the same player shot narrowly over into the Devonport end.
Buzsáky and Chadwick departed in favour of Reuben Reid and Summerfield just after the hour, a move which preceded Doncaster's first corner. That was greeted with something approaching ecstasy from the travelling 200-odd Yorkshiremen and women.
Genuine warmth was shown by the home support when Bojan Djordjic replaced Halmosi soon afterwards, the applause split equally between appreciation for the Hungarian's efforts and a welcome back after injury for the incoming Serb.
Still looking for the goal to kill off the game, Argyle were nearly given some assistance by visiting midfielder Martin Woods, who sliced Summerfield's right-wing corner back towards his own goal and only narrowly over the crossbar.
The longer the game went on, the more jittery Argyle became, and, as a consequence, the nearer Doncaster crept towards the home goal without really looking that dangerous.
Nevertheless it was some relief when Summerfield rounded off the evening in stoppage-time with a sublime free-kick from 30 yards.
Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 2 Paul Connolly, 5 Krisztián Timár, 19 Marcel Seip (capt), 17 Lee Hodges; 7 David Norris, 8 Ákos Buzsáky (20 Luke Summerfield 64), 26 Nadjim Abou, 16 Péter Halmosi (32 Bojan Djordjic 67); 9 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 11 Nick Chadwick (27 Reuben Reid 64). Substitutes (not used): 10 Barry Hayles, 18 Gary Sawyer.
Doncaster Rovers (4-4-2): 1 Neil Sullivan; 2 James O'Connor, 22 Matt Mills, 11 Adam Lockwood, 3 Gareth Roberts (15 Mark Wilson half-time); 7 Lewis Guy (9 Mark McCammon half-time), 19 Richie Wellens, 17 Martin Woods, 18 Sean McDaid; 12 James Hayter, 14 Paul Heffernan (24 Gordon Greer half-time). Substitutes (not used): 13 Ben Smith (gk), 20 Paul Green.
Referee: Lee Probert (Gloucestershire).
Attendance: 5,133 (206 away).
THE draw for the third round of the Carling Cup will take place of Sky Sports' Gillette Soccer Saturday programme this weekend. The programme starts at noon.
