Pressure piled on Wayne Rooney as his Plymouth team suffered a second-half capitulation in a 4-0 Championship hammering by Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The home side finally made incessant pressure pay on 57 minutes when Scott Twine got a telling touch to Cam Pring’s right-footed drive to beat Dan Grimshaw from close range.
Anis Mehmeti’s brace put the game beyond doubt before Sinclair Armstrong added a late fourth – causing previously supportive Argyle fans to turn on their team, who have now conceded 27 goals in 10 Championship away games this season.
City made an enforced change from the side beaten 1-0 at Watford in midweek, with Scott Twine replacing the injured Marcus McGuane in midfield, while Rooney made six changes to the Plymouth team humbled 6-1 by Norwich.
The Argyle boss had called for a solid start but that was hardly the case as several of City’s early attacks caused panic. Zak Vyner fired wide from 20 yards and Jason Knight headed wide from a corner when he should have hit the target.
Nahki Wells mishit another chance wide at the far post from a Pring cross before Vyner went close again from distance. But City could not turn their early pressure into goals and Argyle’s self-belief gradually grew.
Grimshaw saved well from Mehmeti’s defected drive and made two more blocks from the same move with the offside flag already up. City’s first-half frustration deepened when Wells well fired home in stoppage time only to be denied by another offside decision.
Ryan Hardie’s low 48th-minute shot, comfortably saved by Max O’Leary, brought sarcastic cheers from Plymouth fans behind the goal. Soon normal service was resumed as Grimshaw had to keep out a Luke McNally header from a corner and then two Mehmeti shots.
It seemed City must score as Twine ran unmarked onto a Wells pass only to shoot wide on 53 minutes with Grimshaw to beat. Moments later the busy Argyle keeper was in action again, beating away a more powerful Twine effort.
It did not look like being Twine’s day when he rocked the crossbar with a fierce drive but seconds later he was celebrating an opening goal which opened the floodgates.
Argyle lacked nothing in effort but were comprehensively outplayed, offering little in the final stages as City continued to dominate.
Mehmeti cut in from the left to hit a sweetly-struck shot into the opposite bottom corner and then found the roof of the net with a superb 70th-minute finish from Wells’ pass.
Substitute Armstrong burst clear to slot home at the death and cap a fine afternoon for his side.
The managers
Bristol City’s Liam Manning:
“It was important to stay patient today and I thought our fans, as well as the players, were brilliant in that respect.
“The message at half-time was to stay brave because it’s easy to get frustrated when efforts are blocked and you aren’t capitalising on a lot of momentum.
“We are still growing as a team and the lads are learning all the time. We have a culture that encourages improvement through hard work and the players really buy into that.
“I can see the roots of something really growing. Building a team takes time, but the signs are very promising.
“Anis Mehmeti deserves a lot of credit for his goals today. He loves the game and always carries a real threat.
“We defended solidly again, which is important, and it was great to see Sam Bell back after a lengthy injury as a substitute late on.
“We worked in the summer on securing greater strength in depth and even though we still have a few players out, the bench is now pretty strong with good competition for places.”
Plymouth’s Wayne Rooney:
“It was another big embarrassment if I am honest. It was the same last Tuesday and again it was very difficult to go over at the end to show our appreciation to the travelling fans.
“I could feel their frustration and would have felt the same in their position. The last week has been my toughest of my managerial career because I am a winner and I want to see the same in my players.
“In the end, they totally collapsed. It was the same at Norwich and at Leeds. When you want a career as a professional player you sometimes have to dig in and show some fight.
“There was a lack of that after the opening goal, which was very disappointing. Of course we have injuries, but I am not making them an excuse.
“Away from home, nothing I am saying to the players seems to be getting through. When we go a goal down, the attitude is to try and keep it that way, which is not a good place to be in.
“Ultimately, I take full responsibility for the result because I pick the team and the tactics. But the players also have a responsibility to the club and need to show more character.
“I came to the club to improve it and still believe I can do that.”
