Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Sunderland: Wayne Rooney Secures First League Win in Five-Goal Thriller

Player of the game When Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson masterfully stopped Kornel Szucs’ thunderous shot in the third minute of added time, Edwards was the first to react. Edwards unleashed an equally vicious strike that eliminated any opportunity for the Sunderland captain.

After Patrick Roberts’ first-half penalty, Daniel Ballard’s own goal and Ryan Hardie’s penalty saw Plymouth rally from behind. Romaine Mundle tied the score late on for Sunderland, but Edwards had the last say.

In the first minute of play, Mundle’s quick cross from the left side of the pitch nearly found its way past his teammates and across the goal.

The visitors’ Jobe Bellingham shot high and wide from 20 yards out, and then Chris Rigg’s angled shot was saved by Argyle keeper Dan Grimshaw, who was starting his first Championship match in lieu of the injured Conor Hazard.

However, Roberts’ left-footed penalty in the 24th minute gave the Black Cats the lead and sent Grimshaw the other way when Bali Mumba, playing for Argyle for the 100th time, was found to have fouled Chris Rigg while he was running into the box.

John Brooks, the referee, was perfectly positioned a few yards away and pointed to the spot without hesitation. When the ball broke to Darko Gyabi, who was unmarked on the edge of the box, in the 32nd minute, Argyle had a great opportunity to reply, but the 20-year-old midfielder’s first-time strike zipped past.

After 49 minutes, homegrown midfielder Adam Randell unleashed a thunderous 25-yarder that Patterson had to go the entire length of the field to push around his post. It was the closest Argyle had gone against their flying visitors to finding the score.

After 54 minutes of constant pressure, the Greens equalized the score. Callum Wright was the recipient of a cross from Ibrahim Cissoko on the right, but his attempt was stopped.

Morgan Whittaker received the ball and smashed it past Patterson and in off defender Ballard’s bar. After Wright’s cross was cleared in the 61st minute, Edwards was left with an opportunity to score with a volley from the right that just missed the far post.

Rami Al Hajj, a new attacking midfielder from Sweden, made his debut by missing the mark with a shot in the 65th minute. When Cissoko cut in from the left and unleashed a powerful shot in the 68th minute, Argyle nearly took the lead. Although it cleared Patterson, his shot struck the crossbar.

When replacement Hardie was fouled in the 73rd minute while trying to latch onto a cross from Cissoko, the home team took the lead. Immediately, Brooks called for a penalty, which the Scottish striker calmly converted.

In the 86th minute, Mundle’s left-footed effort from outside the penalty area found its way into the far corner, leveling the score for Sunderland just before Edwards’ thrilling winner.